James Lane Duncan TSgt James Lane Duncan was born about 1911 in Illinois, and enlisted in Wayne City, Michigan. He was a radio operator-mechanic-gunner assigned to the Lt. Bobbitt crew of the 563rd Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group, operating from Knettishall, England. The crew had previously flown 3 missions with one ending in a mechanical malfunction abort.

On July 29, 1943, the crew was scheduled for their 4th mission, a raid on German war industries in Hannover, Germany. The 563rd Bomb Squadron put up 21 aircraft for the raid. Four aborted over the Channel due to mechanical failures. Flak was moderate until the IP. Two aircraft were lost over the target due to flak, and German fighters shot down 3 more on the trip home. Some of the crew survived the shoot-down by bailing out; others were killed by fighter attack. Five of the crew were taken POW, and the remainder were killed. German records show the shoot-down was officially credited to Oberleutnant Karl Becker, in an FW-190.

TSgt James Lane Duncan is buried in Ardennes American Cemetery, located in Neupre, Belgium. He was one of the many brave Americans of the 388th Bomber Group who lost their lives in aerial operations against the German forces from June 1943 - August 1945.

Source of information: https://airforce.togetherweserved.com, www.abmc.gov