James Ralton Shirley
Military
Object Number - UPL 45980 - T/Sgt James Ralton Shirley, 100BG
Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wilhelmshaven Mid air collision near Rustringen in B-17 42-31987 'the Little Skipper' Baled out Prisoner of War (POW) 31-Dec-44. MACR 11359.
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
James died in 1981, as reported in the Fall 1990 edition of 'Splasher Six'
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
![Three airmen of the 100th Bomb Group, Lieutenant Kenneth Menzie, Lieutenant Donald Strout and Lieutenant Norman Scott, plan the route they will take during the next mission in their B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30380). Image stamped on reverse: 'Reviewed and passed U.S. Army 23 Aug 1943 Press Censor E.T.O. U.S.A.' [stamp]'. Passed for publication 23 August 1943 INTLD 16 General Section Press Censorship Bureau '[stamp], 'Associated Press' [stamp] and '280035.' [Censor no.] Printed caption on reve](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-378743.jpg.webp?itok=HBB0lqjl)
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13128604 / O-819322
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Shilaylee, The Little Skipper
- Unit: 100th Bomb Group 350th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 31 December 1944
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft 4, Gross Tychow, Pomerania
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Savonia County, GA | 8 November 1920 | Son of W C Shirley. |
|
Enlisted |
Fort Jackson Blvd, Columbia, SC, USA | 6 February 1943 | Fort Jackson Columbia South Carolina |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
78-220 Tychowo, Poland | 31 December 1944 | Prisoner of War (POW).Stalag Luft IV. |
|
Other Baled out |
Kleingärtnerverein Rüstringen e.V., Neuengrodener Weg 50, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 31 December 1944 | Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Wilhelmshaven Mid air collision near Rustringen in B-17 42-31987 'the Little Skipper' Baled out Prisoner of War (POW) 31-Dec-44. MACR 11359. |
|
Other Discharged USAAF |
28 November 1945 | Honourable discharge. | |
|
Died |
24 July 1981 | ||
|
Buried |
Greenwood Cemetery Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL | 27 July 1981 | Greenwood Cemetery Montgomery, Montgomery County, Alabama |
| Westminster, South Carolina, USA | |||
|
Based |
Thorpe Abbotts | 31 December 1944 | Assigned to 350BS, 100BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 11550 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
