James F Lavender

Lt James F Lavender;

James F. Lavender Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army Air Forces Service # O-740841 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium Entered the Service from: West Virginia
Died: 1-Feb-44
Missing in Action or Buried at Sea
Tablets of the Missing at Florence American Cemetery
Florence, Italy Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart

Rank: 2Lt. Serial Number: O-740841 Date of Death: 1944/02/01

    James has been assigned to the 310th Bomb Group, the 379th Bomb Squadron and served Over-Sea's in the MTO. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart. He was Shot-down over water and lost on 1 Feb. 1944. James is Memoralized at the Florence American Cemetery, Italy.

    2nd LT, U. S. Army. Entered service Nov 7, 1940. He joined the service during WWII. He was present at the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. From letters sent home after the air strike, he stated like the rest of the country, he was caught with his pants down! He was on guard duty (an MP at this point in his career) and on the toilet at the time the Japanese started strafing Wright Field. Soon after Pearl Harbor, Jimmy went to flight school where he was assigned to fly a low level medium bomber (B-25 Billy Mitchell). He served in North Africa and fought against Rommel, taking such intense fire that his co-pilot was killed right beside him. He was a great pilot and all of his letters home promised that he would return and take care of his family when the war was over. On 1st February (not 2nd) 1944, he went out on what was scheduled to be his last mission before going home. It was supposed to be a milk run since the Germans were retreating from Crete. But it wasn't. There was anti-aircraft fire, rocket fire, enemy destroyers and enemy aircraft present. The flight commander split the squadron into two groups. Jimmy led one of the five flight formations. The planes on either side were hit and exploded in mid-air (according to the report of the action). Jimmy bombed a tanker and there the reports of the two remaining aircraft conflict. One pilot said that Jimmy's plane crashed into the sea and exploded on impact. The other said that his plane landed on the sea and Jimmy and his crewmen were standing on top of the sinking aircraft and were strafed by enemy aircraft.

According to the state of West Virginia, he was listed as Missing In Action. But John Lavender (the adopted son of Bobby and Phylis Lavender)went to the Suitland archives in Washington, DC and obtained copies of his last action. He gave it to the state of WV and received a tombstone for Jimmy. Jimmy is now officially buried alongside Charles and Pearl Lavender in a London, West Virginia cemetery.

The name of his aircraft was the "Short Snorter". All seven men in his crew were killed when his aircraft went down.

John Lavender is in possession of Jimmy Lavender's pictures, medals and action reports.

NOTE: Above Story POSTED BY DARRELL KELLER at Ancestry.com

Lavender James F WWII Fayette WV Record I.D. 6064 War: WW II Name James F. Lavender Sex: M Race:White County: Fayette Community: Branch of Service: Army

Rank: 2Lt. Serial Number: O-740841 Date of Death: 1944/02/01

James was born 14 May, 1918 in Fayette, WV.  to Charles F and Pearl M Lavender.  1st born and son, James F, then daughter Betty Lee, daughter Marjorie A, and last a son, Robert C Lavender. 

Lt James F Lavender  WW II, B-25 Pilot with the 310thBG, KIA, 1 Feb. 1944.  James was born in 1918 in West Virginia, he had completed High-School and was still single at Enlistment. James entered the Service from Fayette, West VA at Ft Hayes, Columbus, Ohio on 9 Nov. 1940.  He was accepted directly into the AAC.  Eventually he was assigned to the 310th Bomb Group, the 379th Bomb Squadron and served Over-Sea's in the MTO.  He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross with an Oak Leaf Cluster and the Purple Heart.  He was Shot-down over water and lost on 1 Feb. 1944.  James is Memoralized at the Florence American Cemetery, Italy.
 (15014922)  James Father, Charles F Lavender was living in Cannelton, WV when he received the tragic news.  MACR  

WAR DIARY;  On 01 Feb 1944, on a sea search Bombing Mission, Port of Departure of Gambut, as the formation flew broadside, over a three enemy ship convoy, it is believed that A/C # 42-64840 hit a rocket cable fired by the vessel it attacked, leaving a gap in the left wing, about a foot wide, and 9 inches deep, from which a cable was dangling.  The left engine started to throw oil, and it is believed the aircraft made a controlled belly landing in the water.  It is believed that the crew survived the landing and used the dinghy, however, no trace of the six crew members was ever found, and one year later, the Government made a Finding Of Death for each of the six crew members

A/C #: 42-64840 (Maybe Art of "Short Snorter" ?)

P: Lavender, James F. "Jimmy", 2Lt, O-740841, Fayette Co. WV

CP: Staley, Warren Gray, 2Lt, O-747915, Kansas City, MO

B-N: Smith, Edwin A., 2Lt, O-741762, LA, Calif

RG: Garofalo, John V., Sgt., 32557629, Hudson Co., NJ

G: Johnson, Neil S., S/Sgt., 15324259, Ashtabula, OH

Tail G: Russell, Samuel P., Cpl., 16109060, Detroit, Mich

               ----------------------

A/C           Date       MACR  BG    Model

42-64840  1/Feb./1944   2814    310    B-25 

World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938 - 1946  ARMY SERIAL NUMBER 15014922 NAME LAVENDER JAMES F  /RESIDENCE:STATE W. VIRGINIA FAYETTE County, PLACE OF ENLISTMENT  FT HAYES COLUMBUS OHIO

DATE OF ENLISTMENT 09 Nov.1940  Army Air Corps   SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL Civil Life  NATIVITY WEST VIRGINIA   YEAR OF BIRTH 1918  RACE AND CITIZENSHIP  White, citizen  EDUCATION 4 years of high school  CIVILIAN OCCUPATION 736 Semiskilled chauffeurs and drivers, bus, taxi, truck, and tractor   MARITAL STATUS Single, without dependents / Officers

U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945

Name: James F Lavender  Gender: Male  Race: White  Religion: Protestant  Disposition: Nonrecoverable  Service Branch: Army  Rank: Second Lieutenant  Service Number: 740841--

World War II and Korean Conflict Veterans Interred Overseas     Name: James F Lavender  Inducted From: West Virginia  Rank: Second Lieutenant   Combat Organization: 379th Bomber Squadron 310th BomberDeath Date: 1 Feb 1944  Monument: Florence, Italy  Last Known Status: Missing   U.S. Awards: Purple Heart Medal; Distinguished Flying Cross; Additional Army Awards--  WWII Casualty Listings  Name: James F. Lavender  Death Date: 1 Feb 1944  Cemetery: Tablets of The Missing At Florence American Cemetery  Cemetery Burial Plot: Missing in Action or Buried at Sea  Cemetery City: Florence Italy

WAR: World War II  Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart / Second Lieutenant  U.S. Army Air Forces O-740841  Division: 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium  Data Source: World War II Honor Roll  --

National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.  Registry~NARA~War Department Files  Honoree Hometown Service Source   James F. Lavender Fayette County, WV U.S. Army National Archives   2 LT James F. Lavender ID: 0-740841

Branch of Service: U.S. Army Hometown: Fayette County, WV Status: FOD--

Died: Tuesday, February 01, 1944  Memorialized at: Florence American Cemetery: Via Cassia, Italy  Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart--

findagrave.com:  2Lt James F Lavender  Birth: unknown  Death: Feb. 1, 1944  Note: Entered the service from West Virginia.Burial: Florence American Cemetery and Memorial  Florence, Toscana Region, Italy-

PHOTO: World War II Young American Patriots, 1941-1945

Birth Date: 14 May 1918  Service Date: 7 Nov 1940  Parent 1 Name: Mr.  Parent 2 Name: Mrs. Charles F. Lavender--

Ancestry.com~One World Tree  James F. Lavender  Birth: 14 May 1918 - West Virginia, USA  Death: 02 Feb 1944 (2 Feb 1944)  Parents: Charles Franklin Lavender, Pearl M Foreman  --

1920 Census/Falls/Fayette Co./West Virginia/Roll F Chas Lavender/Head of Household/30   Pearl Lavender/Wife/26          Jimmie Lavender/Son/1yr-8mos--

1930 Census/Falls/Fayette Co./West Virginia/Roll

Charles F Lavender/Head of Household/40

Pearl M Lavender/Wife/36

James F Lavender/Son/11

Betty Lee Lavender/Daughter/9

Marjorie A Lavender/Daughter/5

C Robert Lavender/Son/2

--

2nd LT, U. S. Army. Entered service Nov 7, 1940. He joined the service during WWII.  He was present at the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. From letters sent home after the air strike, he stated like the rest of the country, he was caught with his pants down! He was on guard duty (an MP at this point in his career) and on the toilet at the time the Japanese started strafing Wright Field.  Soon after Pearl Harbor, Jimmy went to flight school where he was assigned to fly a low level medium bomber (B-25 Billy Mitchell). He served in North Africa and fought against Rommel, taking such intense fire that his co-pilot was killed right beside him. He was a great pilot and all of his letters home promised that he would return and take care of his family when the war was over.   On 1st February (not 2nd) 1944, he went out on what was scheduled to be his last mission before going home. It was supposed to be a milk run since the Germans were retreating from Crete. But it wasn't. There was anti-aircraft fire, rocket fire, enemy destroyers and enemy aircraft present. The flight commander split the squadron into two groups. Jimmy led one of the five flight formations. The planes on either side were hit and exploded in mid-air (according to the report of the action). Jimmy bombed a tanker and there the reports of the two remaining aircraft conflict. One pilot said that Jimmy's plane crashed into the sea and exploded on impact. The other said that his plane landed on the sea and Jimmy and his crewmen were standing on top of the sinking aircraft and were strafed by enemy aircraft.

 According to the state of West Virginia, he was listed as Missing In Action. But John Lavender (the adopted son of Bobby and Phylis Lavender)went to the Suitland archives in Washington, DC and obtained copies of his last action.  He gave it to the state of WV and received a tombstone for Jimmy. Jimmy is now officially buried alongside Charles and Pearl Lavender in a London, West Virginia cemetery.

 The name of his aircraft was the "Short Snorter". All seven men in his crew were killed when his aircraft went down.

 John Lavender is in possession of Jimmy Lavender's pictures, medals and action reports.

 NOTE: Above Story POSTED BY DARRELL KELLER at Ancestry.com 

Lavender James F  WWII Fayette WV  Record I.D. 6064  War: WW II  Name James F. Lavender  Sex: M  Race:White  County: Fayette  Community:  Branch of Service: Army

Rank: 2Lt. Serial Number: O-740841 Date of Death: 1944/02/01 (Translates 1 Feb.1944)  Place of Death: Italy  Cause of death: FOD  Place of Burial: American Cemetery, in Florence (ITALY)  Unit: 379th B SQ 310 BG  Date of Birth: 1918/05/14  Place of Birth:   Mother: ....Foreman,  Father: C. E. Lavender  Date Added To Memorial: Original

Social Security Number:  Source: WV VET Mem App; American Battle Monuments Commission Website-2001  Notes: Photos of Cemetery and gravesite,  Included on the Florence Cemetery   Tablets of the Missing or  Buried at Sea, in Florence Italy  ----------------

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Warren G Staley; National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.  Registry~NARA~War Department Files  Honoree Hometown Service Source  Warren G. Staley Jackson County, MO U.S. Army National Archives

2 LT Warren G. Staley ID: 0-747915 U.S. Army  Hometown: Jackson County, MO  Status: FOD  --  National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.  Registry~NARA~War Department Files  Honoree Hometown Service Source  Warren G. Staley MO U.S. Army Air Forces ABMC Tablets of the Missing  Warren G. Staley ID: O-747915  Entered the Service From: Missouri  Rank: Second Lieutenant  Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group,  Medium Died: Tuesday, February 01, 1944

Memorialized at: Florence American Cemetery Via Cassia, Italy  Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart  -----------

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Edwin A. Smith  Los Angeles, CA  U.S. Army National Archives 2 LT Edwin A. Smith  ID: O-741762  Branch of Service: U.S. Army  Hometown: Los Angeles, CA  Status: FOD   ------------

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John V. Garofalo    Hudson County, NJ   U.S. Army   National Archives   SGT John V. Garofalo  ID: 32557629  Branch of Service: U.S. Army  Hometown: Hudson County, NJ  Status: FOD --

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John V. Garofalo NJ U.S. Army Air Forces  ABMC Tablets of the Missing   John V. Garofalo  ID: 32557629  Entered the Service From: New Jersey  Rank: Sergeant  Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium  Died: Tuesday, February 01, 1944  Memorialized at: Sicily-Rome American Cemetery  Location: Nettuno, Italy  Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart ------------------

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Neil S. Johnson  Ashtabula County, OH U.S. Army   National Archives   S SG Neil S. Johnson  ID: 15324259  Branch of Service: U.S. Army  Hometown: Ashtabula County, OH  Status: FOD --        Neil S. Johnson     OH  U.S. Army Air Forces    ABMC Tablets of the Missing   Neil S. Johnson  ID: 15324259  Entered the Service From: Ohio   Rank: Staff Sergeant   Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group,   Medium  Died: Tuesday, February 01, 1944 Memorialized at: Sicily-Rome American Cemetery  Location: Nettuno, Italy  Awards: Purple Heart   --------------

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National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.  Registry~NARA~War Department Files  Honoree Hometown Service Source

Samuel P. Russell Wayne County, MI U.S. Army National Archives  CPL Samuel P. Russell ID: 16109060  Branch of Service: U.S. Army  Hometown: Wayne County, MI  Status: FOD  ____ National WWII Memorial, Washington, D.C.  Registry~NARA~War Department Files  Honoree Hometown Service Source   Samuel P. Russell MI U.S. Army Air Forces ABMC Tablets of the Missing  Samuel P. Russell ID: 16109060  Entered the Service From: Michigan  Rank: Corporal  Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 379th Bomber Squadron, 310th Bomber Group, Medium  Died: Tuesday, February 01, 1944   Memorialized at: Sicily-Rome American Cemetery  Location: Nettuno, Italy  Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart

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Has anyone heard Mention of a B-25, Nick-Named,"Short-Snorter" ?

*** Barbi Ennis Connolly 57th Bomb Wing Researcher PRINCESSBARBI_B25@msn.com 321st Bomb Group Historian /Dad/Ed Ennis