Missing information?
Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?
Submit- Full
name
JOLLEY, James J Jr - Date of
birth
1924 -
Age
unknown -
Place of birth
Alabama -
Hometown
Chesson, Macon County, Alabama
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
34808221 -
Rank
Sergeant -
Function
unknown -
Unit
451st Bombardment Squadron,
322nd Bombardment Group, Medium
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
18 March 1945 - Place of
death
Goncourt, France
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Epinal
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| A | 8 | 29 |
Immediate family
-
Members
James J. Jolley (father)
Lois H. Jolley (mother)
Edwin H. Jolley (brother)
Robert H. Jolley (brother)
More information
Sgt James J. Jolley Jr. was killed on 18 March 1945 in the municipality of Goncourt during a terrible tragedy. That day, a few minutes after takeoff from the airbase of Beauvais-Tillé for a mission over Germany, the B-26 in which he was flying crashed, caught by the blast of the explosion of two other B-26s which collided whilst getting into formation. This dramatic catastrophe immediately resulted in the death of the crews of the three bombers. Miraculously, the leading pilot of the Squadron, 1st Lt. Alex O. Cordes, survived.Sgt Jolley was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery of Solers, France.
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.findagrave.com, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / 1930 Census
Photo source: www.findagrave.com - Andy