Memorial

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T/Sgt James C. Childers attended was a sailor.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in San Francisco, California on 31 August 1942.

The airplane was hit by flak over the target. Just after bombing the target, the airplane began to lag in the rear of the formation. It also began to lose altitude.
When the pilot realized that he would never be able to reach England, he gave the bail-out order. When four airmen jumped, it was observed that the B-24 was over water, so it was decided to ditch. The landing failed, and five men drowned.

It crash-landed in the IJsselmeer at a location that is now Flevoland. At the time of the crash, this island didn't exist and was still open water.

In total, just one of the ten crew members survived the crash.

In 1975, while draining this part of the IJsselmeer, the wreckage was found, still containing the remains of five crew members: F/O Kent F. Miller, 2nd Lt Frank A. Passavant, T/Sgt James C. Childers, S/Sgt Stanley Pilch Jr. and 1st Lt Donald E. Shaffer.

The remains of four other crew members were washed ashore or picked up from open sea at various times during the six months following the crash.

T/Sgt Childers is buried in a private cemetery in California.