John Barthlome Martin

Military
media-45408.jpeg UPL 45408 SSGT John B. Martin
Radio Operator
Othello Smith & Keith Farley Crews
388th BG - 561st BS 388th Bomb Group collection

Object Number - UPL 45408 - SSGT John B. Martin Radio Operator Othello Smith & Keith Farley Crews 388th BG - 561st BS

Prisoner of War (POW) crashed near Nuremburg on 25 Feb 45 in B-17 #4338558

Connections

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Units served with

The insignia of the 388th Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-831312
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-823598
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 562nd Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-770817
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Jamaica Ginger
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 563rd Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: Heaven's Above
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 388th Bomb Group 561st Bomb Squadron

Missions

  • Date: 25 February 1945
  • Date: 24 February 1945
  • Date: 23 February 1945
  • Date: 17 February 1945
  • Date: 15 February 1945

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Preston, ID 30 March 1921

Enlisted

Pocatello, ID 15 September 1943

Died

Preston, ID 1 May 2014 Preston - John Barthlome Martin, 93, peacefully passed away at his home in the morning of Thursday, May 1, 2014. he was born March 30, 1921 in Preston, Idaho to Ezra Samuel and Louise Bartlome Martin. he lived in Preston all of his life and graduated from Preston High School in May 1939. He married Fern Seamons on July 22, 1941. They had three children John Brent, Sandra, and Scott Dee. John served his country in WWII. He was in the Air Force and flew as a ball-turret gunner in a B-17 bomber. His crew suffered casualties over Germany. He was shot down and parachuted into the Munich area. He was eventually taken as a Prisoner of War and was in prison camps until being liberated by Patton's forces in 1945. John was a mechanic by trade. he worked with his father at Martin and Hone Garage until 1958 when he opened his own business in Preston. he also had a business in Smithfield and worked for West Motor Co. and Bowen Ford. He was a volunteer firefighter for Preston Fire Department for many years. His wife, Fern passed away in 1985 after a lengthy illness. Louise Keatley became part of his life along with her two daughters and their families. John and Louise spent their retirement together until she passed away in September 2003. John loved hunting, fishing, golfing and pulling the trailer to the canyon and to Arizona and Mesquite in the Winter. He was a member of the Preston Elks Lodge and a Past Exalted Ruler. He was a very honest person, a good friend and Samaritan to all and he could fix just about anything. John is survived by his two sons John Brent (JaNae) Martin, Scott Dee (Vicki) Martin, and a daughter Sandra (Stephen) Biggs, 14 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren, a sister Betty Smith, many nieces and nephews, and Louise's daughters Cindy (Glen) Champney, and Tina (Jared) Clawson, and Louise's sister Dolores (Arlin) Buttars. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Alice Fern Seamons, and companion Louise Glover Keatley, two brothers Don S. Martin and Ezra Dee Martin, and two grandsons Jerry Stephen Biggs and Brooks Scott Martin. Funeral services will be held on Monday, May 5, 2014 at 12:00 noon at Webb Funeral Home, 1005 South 800 East in Preston, Idaho. A viewing will be held Monday from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be in the Preston Cemetery.

Buried

Preston, ID 5 May 2014 Preston Cemetery Preston, Franklin County, Idaho, USA

Other

Shot Down/Captured

Munich, Germany 25 February 1945 "Lt. Farley in a/c 43-38558 was hit by flak on the bomb run, just before bombs away. It was a direct hit in the right wing. The wing caught fire and a few seconds later, exploded. The ball turret was blown with the gunner (John B. Martin) still inside. He had his chute along side one of his guns with a static line to one side of his harness. While the turret was falling he was able to climb out and parachute down to Munich. He walked around for two weeks before being captured. (note: by the time he was captured the German army was being rapidly pushed back and the infrastructure for handling POW's was failing. It doesn't appear that Martin ever made it to one of the Stalag Luft camps.)

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 12718 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

John Barthlome Martin: Gallery (3 items)