Rank and Name, Lieutenant Arthur Duane Jones.
Unit/Placed in, Bombing Squadron 8 (VB-8), United States Naval Reserve.
In 1940 he went to Europe and drove with an ambulance unit, soon he joint the Canadian Air Force during the Battle of Britain.
In 1942 he participated in a raid in Dieppe, and was transferred to the Pacific were he was promoted to full Lieutenant, and flew with Bombing Squadron (VF-8) several missions against Japan with. During a mission against Mindanao Airport the plane was shot, he and his crewman was missing, reports he was made a POW are after research not right. They returned to duty and where missing in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, he was (Posthumously)awarded with the Navy Cross.
Arthur is born approx. on 5 Oct. 1912 in Newark, New Jersey.
Father, Arthur Elwood Jones.
Mother, Elizabeth (Duane) Jones.
Brother(s), Robert Elwood Jones.
Spouse, Mary Ann (McCraney) Jones.
Arthur enlisted the service in New Jersey with service number # 0-243242.
Arthur‘s Crew-members on-board the plane a B- were,
Lt. Arthur D. Jones Pilot
Arm1. Walter L. Oliver Radio Operator
Arthur was MIA during the (First) Battle of the Philippine Sea (west of Saipan) on 20 Sep. 1944, he is honored with an Navy Cross, Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Expeditionary Medal, American Campaign Medal, Navy & Marine Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.
Arthur is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.
Walls of the missing.
Thanks to, https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/302868-vb-8-vbf-8-and-vf-8-uss-bunker-hill-cv-17/
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/GSVC-DWZ
Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com ww2-europe.com
Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.
ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov
Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker
Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/
Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org
POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.
Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano
National Historian
Navy Seal Memorial, http://www.navysealmemorials.com
Family Info, https://www.familysearch.org
Info, https://www.pacificwrecks.com/
Medals Info, https://www.honorstates.org
Website,
Find a Grave, https://www.findagrave.com
Tank Destroyers, http://www.bensavelkoul.nl/
Navy Cross
AWARDED FOR ACTIONS
DURING World War II
Service: Navy
Battalion: Bombing Squadron 8 (VB-8)
Division: U.S.S. Bunker Hill (CV-17)
GENERAL ORDERS:
Commander Fast Carrier Task Force Pacific: Serial 0279 (August 3, 1944)
CITATION:
The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Lieutenant Arthur Duane Jones, United States Naval Reserve, for extraordinary heroism in action as Pilot of a carrier-based Navy Dive Bomber and Leader of a Division of Dive Bombers in Air Group EIGHT (AG-8), attached to the U.S.S. BUNKER HILL (CV-17), during an attack against the Japanese Fleet in the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, on 20 June 1944. Gallantly leading his Division at extreme combat radius in a strike against major hostile Fleet units, Lieutenant Jones flew in over the assigned area in bold defiance of fierce enemy aerial opposition and a terrific barrage of anti-aircraft fire sent up from guns of all calibers including battleship main batteries and, pressing home his own attack at low altitude, scored a direct bomb hit on a hostile aircraft carrier despite damage sustained by his plane in the furious action. By his airmanship and cool courage in the face of tremendous odds, Lieutenant Jones contributed to the probable destruction of the carrier and to the success of this decisive engagement. His valiant devotion to duty throughout reflects the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.
