World War II Honoree

James Smith Allison, Jr.

Branch of Service

U.S. Army Air Force

Hometown

Wayne, Michigan

Honored By

Sam E. Pennartz

ENLISTED IN THE ARMY AIR CORPS AND UNDERWENT B-29 AIRCRAFT OPERATIONAL TRAINING AT WALKER ARMY AIR FIELD NEAR VICTORIA, KANSAS. DEPLOYED TO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC THEATRES OF OPERATION AND WAS ASSIGNED TO 20TH AIR FORCE, XXI BOMBER COMMAND, 73RD BOMB WING, 500TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP, 882ND BOMB SQUADRON STATIONED AT ISLEY FIELD ON SAIPAN IN THE MARIANA ISLANDS. ON DECEMBER 13, 1944, HE FLEW AS THE RADIO OPERATOR ABOARD A BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS NICKNAMED 'TOKYO LOCAL' (SERIAL # 42-24687) TAIL CODE: Z-SQUARE-26. IT WAS ONE OF 90 AIRCRAFT LAUNCHED IN A MULTI-GROUP FORMATION TO BOMBARD THE MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT ENGINE PLANT NEAR NAGOYA, JAPAN. FLAK FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY WAS HEAVY AND ENEMY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ATTACKS WERE DESCRIBED AS MODERATE, WITH 106 PASSES REPORTED. DURING THE BOMB RUN HIS #1 AND #3 ENGINES SUFFERED DAMAGE FROM FLAK. HE WAS KILLED ON THE RETURN ROUTE, WHEN HIS AIRCRAFT WAS FORCED TO DITCH IN ROUGH SEAS APPROXIMATELY 450 KILOMETERS SOUTH OF NAGOYA. LAST VISUAL CONTACT WAS BY ANOTHER B-29; GIVING GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF THE CRASH AS 32 DEGREES +48 MINUTES NORTH AND 137 DEGREES +37 MINUTES EAST. THE AIRCRAFT SANK IN LESS THAN TWO MINUTES AND NO LIFE RAFTS OR SURVIVORS WERE OBSERVED.