James Buel Fields was born on August 5, 1920. He was the son of William Jesse Fields and Susie E. Mitchell Fields. He was married to Katie Frances Hollis Stewart. He served in the 602nd Bomber Squadron, 398th Bomb Group, as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot of B-17 #42-102597 nicknamed ''Stinker'' during World War II.

On September 12, 1944, the ''Stinker'' embarked on its 41st mission targeting the synthetic oil refinery at Brüx (now Most), in the present-day Czech Republic. During the mission, the aircraft sustained significant damage from anti-aircraft flak and was subsequently attacked by a German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. The combined assaults critically impaired the bomber, compelling the crew to divert towards neutral Sweden in an attempt to avoid capture. Unfortunately, Stinker crashed into the Baltic Sea near Trelleborg, Sweden. Of the ten crew members aboard, only the co-pilot survived, and the remaining nine crew members perished in the crash.

2Lt Fields was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Rush Creek Cemetery, Cayce, Fulton County, Kentucky, USA. James B. Fields' name is inscribed on the Anstey Window Memorial in Panel 2 (center), on Butterfly 7, in the top right wing (section B).

Source of information: b17flyingfortress.de, www.findagrave.com, www.398th.org