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Submit- Full
name
SAMPLE, James William - Date of
birth
1 July 1916 -
Age
27 - Place of
birth
Louisiana -
Hometown
Harris County, Texas
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
18114946 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Waist Gunner -
Unit
323rd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Missing in Action - Date of
death
27 September 1943 - Place of
death
North Sea, off the coast of Langeoog Island, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten - Walls of the Missing
Immediate family
-
Members
George W. Sample (father)
Janie D. (McCrery) Sample (mother)
Luella G. Sample (sister)
Vera M. Sample (sister)
Garland Sample (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-29750 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Rebel's Revenge
Destination: Emden, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the U-boat base
MACR: 668
More information
S/Sgt James W. Sample was a sales clerk.He volunteered for the Aird Corps of the Army of the United States in Houston, Texas on 31 March 1942.
At approximately 1010 hours, 24,000 feet, just after leaving the target, the airplane was seen with an engine on fire. It left the formation and was seen to drop its bombs. It was last seen heading down in a dive.
Two crew members survived the crash: 2nd Lt Richard F. Hull and T/Sgt Edgar G. Fetty and were taken prisoner. The bodies of two other crew members, 2nd Lt John M. Perritt and 2nd Lt Frank O. Rolfe, washed ashore and were initially interred at Langeoog Cemetery Duenenfriedhof.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - 1930 Census / Rowan/Bulger/Morrell/Sample Family Tree
Photo source: Niels and Angelique Lenssen