Crew Roster · Personal File

James W. Barker

Tail Gunner · 409th Squadron

HometownLewistown, Pennsylvania

Sgt. James W. Barker (ASN 13048346), born September 13, 1919, served as tail gunner on the 93rd Bomb Group, 409th Bomb Squadron aircraft during the August 1, 1943 Ploesti mission. The aircraft departed Benghazi at 7:00 AM.

The aircraft was riddled by heavy anti-aircraft and ground machine gun fire approximately eight miles past the target and crashed at 3:00 PM without any crew members bailing out. Barker was wounded in the back of the head and in the stomach. The plane did not explode on impact.

Barker was taken as a prisoner of war and interned in Romania. His aids box was not used due to his wounds preventing him from walking. He survived his wounds and internment and was repatriated after Romania's change of allegiance in 1944. His serial number 13048346 is confirmed in the 15th Air Force repatriation orders of September 3, 1944, listing him with the 93rd Bomb Group.

Barker was questioned on security matters at Bari, Italy and signed a security certificate on September 3, 1944. He departed Gibraltar on September 6, 1944. He confirmed that all crew members were accounted for and freed except bombardier 1st Lt. J. Little, who was killed and buried at Sinaia, Romania.

Completed Tour

Sortie Log

2 CATALOGUED SORTIES
01 AUG 1943 — 01 AUG 1943

The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.

8AF Mission

Date

Target

Aircraft

№ 115

01 AUG 1943

Ploesti

The aircraft was lost on August 1, 1943 during the low-level Ploesti mission (Operation Tidal Wave), approximately 10 miles southwest of the target at around 1515 hours. Two engines were shot out and a third was hit, with the tail section badly damaged. The pilot crash-landed the aircraft rather than ordering a bail-out. None of the crew used parachutes. The plane did not explode on impact but was totally wrecked. Seven of the ten crew members were injured in the crash. Navigator 2nd Lt. Thompson reported seeing all crew members after reaching the ground. The crew was subsequently taken into Romanian custody and held as internees before being repatriated to Allied control in September 1944.

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№ 115

01 AUG 1943

Ploesti Oil Refineries

The aircraft was on its second mission when it was struck by heavy anti-aircraft fire and ground machine gun fire approximately eight miles past the target at Ploesti, Romania. The plane crashed at approximately 3:00 PM on August 1, 1943. No crew members bailed out; the entire crew crashed with the plane. The aircraft did not explode on striking the ground. Several enlisted men and two officers were wounded before the crash. Following the crash, all crew members were eventually accounted for and freed except for the bombardier, 1st Lt. J. Little, who was buried at Senia (Sinaia), Romania.

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