James Nicholas Rector was the son of James Nicholas Rector and Josephine Brown.
Twelve killed in crash of Bomber
Hays, Kansas, Oct. 25 – A crash of their four-engines bomber at Russell, Kansas, took the lives of twelve crewmen from Walker Army Air Field, the Public Relations Office announced. The plane was on a combat training flight.
The dead included: 2nd Lt. James N. Rector Jr., husband of Mrs Wilda G. Rector, Hays, and son of James N. Rector, Sevierville, Tenn.
and T/Sgt Armand P. Simmons, Jr., son of Mrs. Pearl Simmons, Humboldt, Tenn.
The Knoxville Journal, October 29, 1944
Second Lt. James N. Rector, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. James N. Rector Sr., of Sevierville was one of a crew of 12 killed in a bomber crash near Russell, Kan. Tuesday. Lieutenant Rector is survived by his wife, the former Miss Wilda Grace Long of Sevierville; two brothers, Sgt. Calvin A. Rector, who is stationed in England and Cpl. Jack B. Rector of Gordon, Ga.
He was 23 years of age; a graduate of Sevier County High School and was a student at the University of Tennessee at the time he enlisted in the Air Corps in December, 1942. Lieutenant Rector received his commission as navigator last July.
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of death: 24 October 1944
- County: Sevier
- Hometown: Sevierville
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 330th Bomber Group, Heavy
- Conflict: World War II
- Burial/Memorial Location: Shiloh Memorial Cemetery, Pigeon Forge, Sevier County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XVII, Bottom Panel
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