1st Lt. Robert James
1st Lt. Robert James of San Leandro,
California occupied the left seat in the cockpit. He was the commander of
the crew and responsible for their safety and efficiency at all times, even on
the ground between missions. He also was responsible for censoring the
crew's mail. Lt. James was responsible for flying the plane to its target
and returning it to base, or an alternate base in the case of trouble or lack of
fuel to return. He was also charged with keeping the plane in its proper
place in the tight formations they flew. This could be a real struggle
with the thin air at 20,000 plus feet. Because of the high aspect airfoil,
the plane had to be trimmed at just the right flight attitude. The correct
setting of revolutions of the propeller and the manifold pressure was critical
and had to be maintained.
Lt. James was an excellent pilot and was chosen to be the lead aircraft in his flight—usually the third, or low flight. The B-24 Jesse James was named by Robert James and ball turret gunner Harry Fryar. Harry was from the same county in Missouri as the outlaw Jesse James. Since these men had been trained to kill with their bombs and guns they now felt like outlaws.