Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
CANARD, James Edwin "Jim" - Date of
birth
9 December 1922 -
Age
21 - Place of
birth
Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts -
Hometown
Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
12164765 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator -
Unit
335th Bombardment Squadron,
95th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
24 January 1944 - Place of
death
Wingene, Belgium
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 9 | 22 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James E. Canard (father)
Marie A. (Kelly) Canard (mother)
Richard L. Canard (brother)
Helen M. Canard (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30181 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Herky Jerky II aka Lover Boy
Destination: Frankfurt, Germany
Mission: Bombing of transportation and industrial targets
MACR: 2258
More information
James Canard was raised in England by his aunt and uncle, Mary Lucy Kelly and Ernest Roose. James' mother, Marie Kelly, went to the US after her marriage had broken up and went back to work as a nurse. When war broke out Mary Lucy decided to send the children back to their mother in the USA.T/Sgt James E. Canard attended college for one year and worked as a shipping and receiving clerk.
He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Newark, New Jersey on 28 October 1942.
The target of the mission was to bomb transportation and industrial targets at Frankfurt and Russelsheim. Most bombers had trouble forming up in bad weather and only 563 of the 857 B-17s were dispatched. All of the B-24s were recalled. Because of worsening weather all groups were recalled at 1020 hours but 58 B-17s bombed the Zukunft Power Station near Eschweiler.
The aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters. His tail caugth fire and he spun down but pulled up momentarily with his tail going off.
Six crew members survived and were taken prisoner, four men were killed.
T/Sgt Canard was first buried at the cemetery of the village of Wevelgem, Belgium.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans,Terry Hirsch, Enlistment Record / National Archives, MACR 2258 / Fold3, WWII Memorial, CWGC-ABMC, 95thbg-horham, www.ancestry.com - Family Tree / Anne Clarkson / WWII Draft Registration Card
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Dominique Potier / Anne Clarkson