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Personal info

Full name
SCARBORO, James Asbury
Date of birth
23 September 1922
Age
21
Place of birth
Royston, Madison County, Georgia
Hometown
Dublin, Laurens County, Georgia

Military service

Service number
O-812492
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
356th Fighter Squadron,
354th Fighter Group
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
23 March 1944
Place of death
In the vicinity of Brunswick, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
B 40 47

Immediate family

Members
Ambrose C. Scarboro (father)
Lollie B.Twitty Scarboro (mother)
Donald Scarboro (brother)
Mary F. Scarboro Salley (sister)

Plane data

Serial number
43-12223
Data
Type: P-51B
Destination: Brunswick, Germany
Mission: Bomber escort
MACR: 3278

More information

James A. Scarboro graduated from Dublin High School and attended Georgia Teachers College.

He joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Atlanta, Georgia on 29 July 1942.

He the #2 over of 1st Lt Harry E. Fisk during this mission. When they engaged a couple of ME-109 fighter planes, contact was lost with Lt Scarboro. The other two American pilots called him a couple of times on the radio, but he didn't answer.

Statement from 1st Lt Harry E Fisk, who flew in the same mission: "I was leading Starstud Green Flight, consisting of myself, Lt Scarboro as no. 2 man on my wing, and Lt Perkins as no. 3 man, leading the second element. Lt Styrsky was no. 4 man but aborted early in the mission on account of oxygen trouble, so we had three ships in the flight for the mission. We were flying at 25,000 feet at about 1115 when Lt Perkins developed oxygen trouble. I called the Group Leader and told him that Starstud Green Flight was returning. We descended to about 16,000 feet and were only a few miles from the Group when I saw two ME 109s at 12 o'clock to us and about 1,000 feet above. I called Green Flight and told them to keep a sharp lookout as there were ME-109s around. Lt Perkins said that he had enough oxygen for about five minutes, so I told Starstud two and three to cover me, and I pulled in behind the ME-109s. They started a shallow dive to the right, and as I closed within firing range, one 109 half rolled and dove straight down. I started firing on the other one, and as I hit him, he half-rolled and dove straight down. I followed him about three or four thousand feet, and then pulled out. Lt Perkins was circling about 1,000 feet above me, and Lt Scarboro was not to be seen. I called him on the radio and asked him if he saw us, and he answered that he did not. I told him that we were at 15,000 feet circling. We continued circling, and I called him again and told our altitude and that if he could not do that, to steer 290 degrees for base. I received no reply to this, called two or three times more, receiving no reply. We remained in that approximate area for about 30 or 40 minutes, but did not contact him."

Source of information: Terry Hirsch, Raf Dyckmans, WWIIMemorial.com, Footnote.com MACR, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: Paul Scarboro, Georgia Teachers College, 1941, The Macon Telegraph - 5 October 1943