Technical Sergeant James R. Reynolds, Jr.

James R. Reynolds, Jr was born April 04, 1922. His parents were James R. and Florence Reynolds. On the 1930 census, the family was living at 65 Jackson Ave. Gilblistown, Gloucester County, New Jersey. His father’s occupation was listed as an engineer at a dynamite plant. James had a younger sister.

James R. Reynolds,Jr. enlisted in the Army Air Corps on August 16, 1940, prior to the war, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the time of his enlistment, he was employed in the manufacture of automobiles. He was single. His service number was 13005087.

Technical Sergeant James R. Reynolds, Jr, served as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator/Gunner on a F-7B Liberator #44-40422, 20th Combat Mapping Squadron, 6th Photographic Group.

On September 30, 1944, the Liberator #44-40422, took off from Biak Island, Papua, New Guinea on a combat mission over Leyte Island, Philippines with a crew of eleven airmen. After a successful mission and while returning to base the aircraft ran into severe weather and called out “Mayday” several times. The base and other aircraft tried to contact them without success. Technical Sergeant James R. Reynolds was Killed In Action on this mission. His remains were not recovered. He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.

The other airmen who perished that day were Harold E. Amos, Boyd D. Berg,Samuel T. Catlin, Royce E. Harms, Herbert G. Julian, Stephen H. Laichak, Thomas Rafael, Gerald P. Smith, Raymond T. Weld, Melvin J. West.

Technical Sergeant James R. Reynolds has a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines and Lawnside Cemetery, Woodstown, Salem County, New Jersey.

This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 400,000+ of the US World War II fallen here on Fold3. Can you help write these stories? Related to this, there will be a smart phone app that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery, scan the fallen’s name and read his/her story.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project (see www. storiesbehindthestars.org).

If you have corrections or additions to Second Lt. Steve Ellerbee Brodie’s story, please contact me at mjbezoldbarbian27@gmail.com.

Gloucester, New Jersey

December 24, 2022

1930 Federal Census-Jackson Ave., Gilblistown,Gloucester County, New Jersey

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/6224/images/4660898_00407?pId=1439144

1940 Federal Census

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2442/images/m-t0627-02342-00616?pId=130678758

Information on Enlistment

https://www.fold3.com/record/83719892/james-r-reynolds-wwii-army-enlistment-records

Name of James’s father (Fold3)Page 24 of Missing Air Crew Report

https://www.fold3.com/image/28734396

Pacific works, history of the aircraft

https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/44-40422.html

Fold3-has pictures and other documents

https://www.fold3.com/memorial/529973547/james-r-reynolds-jr/gallery

Picture from Fold3

FindAGrave#109595138-Lawnside, Salem County, NJ

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109595138/james-r-reynolds?_gl=1*1kki55*_ga*NjAzMjAyMTYxLjE2Njc2MTc3MDM.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY3MTc2NzI1NS4zNy4xLjE2NzE3NjczNTIuMzMuMC4w

FindAGrave #56790625 Tablets of the Missing-has other information on the aircraft and crew member

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56790625/james-r-reynolds?_gl=1*bqs9sz*_ga*NjAzMjAyMTYxLjE2Njc2MTc3MDM.*_ga_4QT8FMEX30*MTY3MTc2NzI1NS4zNy4xLjE2NzE3Njc4NDUuNTYuMC4w

FindAGrave-Arlington National Cemetery

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/1114450/james-r-reynolds

James R Reynolds, Jr