James L. Lyons
Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces

In June 1944, Sergeant James L. Lyons was serving as a gunner with the 758th Bomb Squadron, 459th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 304th Bombardment Wing, 15th Air Force, based at Giulia Airfield, Italy. The 459th Bombardment Group flew B-24 Liberator bombers on missions in Italy, France, the Balkans, Austria and Germany.

On 26 June 1944, SGT Lyons was a gunner on B-24J Liberator bomber Serial Number 42-51174, which was on a bombing mission of an oil refinery at Moosbierbaum, 25 miles west of Vienna, Austria.

On 27 June 1944, Staff Sergeant Robert J. Huber, the Tail Gunner on the B-24 aircraft flying in the number 2 position of ‘D’ Flight during the mission, made the following written statement: “LT Stodden was flying in the number 5 position of ‘D’ Flight, directly to the rear and slightly lower than us. We were all flying in good formation when about five minutes before reaching the target, about 20 German fighters came roaring in formation, past the rear of our formation. Immediately after, the number 3 engine of LT Stodden’s ship started to smoke quite badly. About two minutes later LT Stodden feathered the propeller on that engine and began to fall behind the rest of the formation. The enemy fighters did not return, for they were being engaged by the P-51 escorts. LT Stodden continued on his bomb run and when he dropped his bombs he was about 1 mile to the rear of the formation. We rallied left, making a wide turn, and I saw LT Stodden make a sharp left rally, quite a ways off the prescribed rally course and parallel to it. That was the last I saw of him. We had experienced intense rocket flak over the target and German fighters prior to, over, and after the target but I am sure it was the enemy fighters that caused LT Stodden’s disappearance.” (According to MACR 6431, LT Stodden’s plane was last sighted at 0950 hours.)

The aircraft had a crew of 9. The pilot, 2LT Stodden, and one of the gunners, SGT Lyons, were killed in action. The other 7 members of the crew survived their parachute jumps from the aircraft and served as POWs in German prison camps until the end of the war.

Medals, Awards and Badges

Purple Heart
Air Medal
American Campaign Medal
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army Air Forces Aircrew Badge

B-24J Liberator Bomber Serial Number 42-51174, had the following crew on 26 June 1944.

● Pilot: 2LT Richard B. Stodden [Honoree Record ID 308237] KIA
● Co-Pilot: 1LT James C. Wilson [Honoree Record ID 308238] POW
● Bombardier: CPT Edward E. Van Derheyden [Honoree Record ID 308239] POW
● Engineer: TSGT Roy M. Paquet [Honoree Record ID 308240] POW
● Radio Operator: TSGT Edward J. Czarnecki [Honoree Record ID 308241] POW
● Gunner: TSGT Richard C. Ellis [Honoree Record ID 308242] POW
● Gunner: SGT John Lush [Honoree Record ID 308243] POW
● Gunner: SGT Stanley Lipczynski [Honoree Record ID 308244] POW
● Gunner: SGT James L. Lyons [Honoree Record ID 111550] KIA

Burial

Sergeant James L. Lyons is buried at the Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial in Saint-Avold, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France.

[The information in this biography was derived primarily from various sections of the 459th Bombardment Group website at http://www.459bg.org/ and permission was granted for its use.]