T/Sgt. James G. Ovens
**T/Sgt James Ovens was with the B-26 Marauder Medium Bomber 344th Bomb Group, in the 494th Bomb Squadron. **
Click any picture to enlarge
From James Grandson Scott Eaton: James George Ovens, was born in Ware, Massachusetts 20 August 1915 and he died in Manchester, NH 07 August 1994. His Army service number was 31163788 and he was a T/Sgt. when he got out of the service.
.
Ovens pictured with crew. He is the forth person from the left. We have not been able to find the ID or call letters for the plane “Boomerang.”
Formation: Dec. 27, 1944
Part of the Battle of the Bulge, the mission of Dec. 27, 1944 was to destroy a railway bridge Ahrweiler, Germany. T/Sgt. Ovens and the 494th Bomb Squadron furnished 12 aircraft to the formation (the squadrons plane’s call letters all begin with K9). This mission was yet another step in the plan to isolate the enemy forces participating in the Eiffel counter-offensive. Heavy smoke in the target area prevented the bombardiers from picking up the exact DMPI, however with the aid of checkpoints some good concentrations of bombs were achieved and great damage was wrought.
Load List for K9-Y: Dec. 27, 1944
For this mission the pilot was 2nd Lt. Geske, co-pilot 2nd Lt. Harman, Togilier S/Sgt. Temple, Engineer/gunner S/Sgt. Ovens, Radio/gunner S/Sgt. Mulstein, and gunner S/Sgt. McIntyre. The plane that day was 43-34299 K9-Y (no known name). There bombs were released on target.
It was not until January 11th that weather conditions permitted the 494th squadron to again participate in the Battle of the Bulge. This time the target was the Houffalize Road Junction. The squadron sent seven B-26s. Due to low visibility, a Pathfinder was used. Results were poor, nevertheless.
For this mission of Jan. 11 the pilot was 2nd Lt. Geske, co-pilot 2nd Lt. Harman, Togilier S/Sgt. Temple, Engineer/gunner S/Sgt. Ovens, Radio/gunner S/Sgt. Mulstein, and gunner S/Sgt. McIntyre. The plane that day was 43-34347 K9-F (no known name). 
On January 22, 1945 the mission was to a railway bridge in Sinzig, Germany. Geske, Ovens, and crew were near the lead plane of the formation (position 1-1-3).
For this mission the pilot was 1st Lt. Geske, co-pilot 2nd Lt. Forden (later killed in a mission with another crew see MACR# 12221 DATE – 13 Feb 1945), Bombardier 2nd Lt. McKinney, Engineer/gunner S/Sgt. Ovens, Radio/gunner S/Sgt. Mulstein, and gunner S/Sgt. McIntyre. The formation could not bomb due to weather and/or failure of OBOE equipment and returned the ordinance to base. The plane was either 43-34367 K9-K or 42-107669 Feudin Wagin Y5-U and K9-K
2nd Lt. Geske indicated that their plane carried 4- 1000lb bombs and returned them to base.
Mission Map March 21, 1945
The March 21, 1945 mission was to a communications center in Coesfeld, Germany. Geske, Ovens and crew flew near the lead once again in position 1-1-2. The first box dropped their bombs when they observed the Pathfinder drop theirs. The results were excellent.
For this mission of March 21, 1945, the pilot was 1st Lt. Geske, co-pilot 2nd Lt. Harman, Togilier S/Sgt. Temple, Engineer/gunner S/Sgt. Ovens, Radio/gunner S/Sgt. Mulstein, and gunner S/Sgt. McIntyre. The plane that day was 43-34351 Willie the Wolf K9-D *pic 2 *pic 3 *pic 4 *pic 5 *pic 6 *pic 7 pic8 
Ovens received his honorable discharge Oct. 6, 1945
He received the Good Conduct Medal, Air Medal with 7 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the European-African-Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Medal.
.
