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name
PAULEY, James Clifford - Date of
birth
4 March 1917 -
Age
26 - Place of
birth
Lincoln County, West Virginia -
Hometown
Lincoln County, West Virginia
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35213803 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Tail Gunner -
Unit
332nd Bombardment Squadron,
94th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Distinguished Flying Cross,
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
5 November 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, 300 yards off the coast of Haamstede, The Netherlands
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
James A. Pauley (father)
Betty J. (Thompson) Pauley (mother)
Harold L. Pauley (brother)
Frances M. Pauley (sister)
Everett L. Pauley (brother)
Betty L. Pauley (sister)
Ralph T. Pauley (brother)
Odessa L. Pauley (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-30166 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: You Cawn't Miss it
Destination: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the marshalling yard and synthetic oil refineries
MACR: 1043
More information
S/Sgt James C Pauley worked on a farm.He enlisted in Huntington West, Virginia at 15 October 1941.
The following was written by Harry Slater formerly of the 94th Bomb Group:
"On November 5th, the 94th launched 32 aircraft to bomb the synthetic oil refineries northwest of Gelsenkirchen. Since the Ploesti oil production center had been bombed, this target was considered important to the German cause. Nineteen aircraft formed the lead group of the 1st Air Task Force.
Flak was light over the Dutch coast but became intense in the target area. Lt. James K. Killian and crew of the 332nd squadron in aircraft 42-30166 (You Cawn't Miss it) were observed under heavy attack. After a time, the aircraft exploded with one parachute blossoming out of the debris. Eight aircraft suffered minor flak damage".
Two crew members survived and were taken prisoner, eight were killed. The remains of S/Sgt Pauley were never recovered.
S/Sgt James C Pauley is remembered at the Pauley Cemetery, Tango, Lincoln County, West Virginia.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.findagrave.com, www.ancestry.com - West Virginia Marriages / United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, American Air Museum in Britain
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Cole Snyder / Connie Mosteller