John Bryant White was born on May 20, 1922. He was the son of George Warren White and Arlenia Worley White. After basic training, he received training as a Radio Operator. He was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to an operational unit for crew assignment, familiarization with aerial flight, flexible aerial gunnery, and crew discipline. He arrived overseas in late 1943.

White was assigned to the 561st Bomb Squadron of the 388th Bomb Group, operating from Knettishall, England. Evidently, he was assigned to the Hoehn crew as he flew 4 combat missions with this crew from November 26, 1943 until January 5, 1944. Two of these sorties were aborts.

On February 20, 1944, he flew with the Payne crew on a mission to bomb Pozen, Poland. As the bomber formation approached the Danish peninsula, it was attacked repeatedly and aggressively by a large number of enemy fighters. These attacks continued to the target, over the target, and on the return flight. During the return flight, Payne radioed that his aircraft had a massive fuel leak, and that he would try to go home by a different route. The aircraft was never heard from again, although it later made an emergency landing in Denmark, near Assens.

Accounts vary on the landing as to whether it was a landing or a crash, as all but 1 of the crew was killed. Here, too, accounts vary as some say he survived the crash while others state he parachuted down. It is known he was seriously wounded, captured, and taken to a German military hospital.

The 9 dead aviators were buried in the Assens Cemetery by Danes and a German escort. After the war, Sergeant White was returned to the U.S. and buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Seneca, South Carolina. 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: www.findagrave.com, airforce.togetherweserved.com