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

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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 ----------------

*

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: 0-747915U.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 CemeteryVia Cassia, Italy** Awards: Air Medal, Purple Heart -----------

**

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 ------------

*

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 --

*

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 ------------------

*

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 --------------

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 PRINCESSBARBIB25@msn.com 321st Bomb Group Historian /Dad/Ed Ennis_**