James Wright Russell Jr
Military
Personal research & 'The Debden Warbirds' by Frank Speer.
Object Number - UPL 14014 - 1st Lt. James W. Russell Jr, of the 335th Fighter Squadron.
On 11-Sep-44, 1st Lt. Russell had just destroyed an Fw190 when another fighter hit him in the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang 44-14158 with a 20mm round which exploded in his cockpit and wounded him. Near Fulda, when his aircraft started to burn, 'I crash-landed in a field. I got about 150 ft from my kite and passed out', he said. 'I was picked up by a forest ranger ten minutes later.
Awards: DFC, AM (3OLC), LOM (OLC), PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME, UN and Korean medals.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
- Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
- Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
Missions
- Date: 11 September 1944
- Date: 21 June 1944
- Official Description:
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Bonham, TX, USA | 30 December 1920 | |
|
Other Assigned |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 4 April 1944 - 11 September 1944 | Assigned to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. 2 x Victories. |
|
Other Promoted |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 22 May 1944 | Promoted to 1st Lieutenant. |
|
Other Sqn Asst Ops and Gunnery Officer |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 14 July 1944 | Designated Squadron Assistant Operations and Gunnery Officer. |
|
Other Flight Commander B Flight |
Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK | 14 August 1944 | Designated Flight Commander B Flight. |
|
Other Prisoner of War (POW) |
Barth, Germany | 11 September 1944 | Prisoner Of War POW. Stalag Luft I. |
|
Other Shot down |
Fulda, Germany | 11 September 1944 | Took 20mm cannon shell from Fw190 in cockpit, wounded, crash landed and captured. |
|
Other E/A Destroyed |
Germany | 11 September 1944 | Fw190 destroyed. |
|
Died |
San Antonio, TX, USA | 1 May 2005 | |
|
Other Post War |
Served in Korea and Vietnam. 1973 Retired from the USAF as a Lieutenant Colonel. | ||
|
Buried |
Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery San Antonio, Bexar County, TX | Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas |
Revisions
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 8987 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8987, Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. IV by Bishop & Hey, p.30 / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list
