Ed. L. James.
Navigator · 328th Squadron
The man.
The navigator, 2nd Lt. Ed. L. James (O-747092), served aboard the 93rd Bomb Group, 328th Squadron aircraft that crash-landed near Amersfoort on 30 January 1944.
James identified the Zuiderzee just before the crash landing, informing pilot Killian that the plane was over the Zuiderzee rather than the open sea, which enabled a crash landing rather than a ditching. He was positioned behind the pilot for the crash landing.
James was reported as a prisoner of war following the mission. The crew questionnaire notation reads P.W. - M.A. in Switz., indicating capture and internment in Switzerland. The exact circumstances of his capture are not detailed in the E&E report, which focuses on the evasion accounts of Killian and Schultz.