James Hallstone Azer was born May 19, 1924 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania to William S. Azer Sr. (1884-1958) and Rachel K. Sterner (1897-1981). His parents were married on September 23, 1921 in Manhattan, NY. He had an older brother William (also killed during WWII in an accident while stationed in Florida) and a younger brother Thomas. The 1930 and 1940 US Census recorded the family living on South Lake Ave. in Troy, NY but by the time of his high school graduation he was living on Sherman Place in Utica, NY. His dad was a credit manager for a furniture company and was from Pennsylvania. His mom was from New York. He attended Utica Free Academy and was a member of the Phi Delta Sigma Fraternity. He later attended Xavier University in Cincinnati for training in the Air Corp.

When he registered for the draft on June 30, 1942 he reported working for a "ramp garage" on Oriskany St. [sic] in Utica, NY and was 5'-10" tall and weighed 139 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. James is drafted into the service on April 20, 1943 through Utica, NY with service number 32857145. On his enlistment papers was recorded that he completed 4 years of high school. While still stateside in training, in January 1944, he was admitted to the hospital for acute Bronchitis and then again for Scarlet fever. Records show that by February 1944 he was back on duty. On May 16,1944 while stationed in Lincoln, Nebraska and still only a Pvt. he was given a 15 day furlough to visit home, with strict orders to report back by June 1, 1944. On July 16, 1944, while at Sioux City, he was promoted to Corporal. On August 11, 1944 he was given a 13 day furlough to travel home from training in Sioux City, Iowa. He had just completed Combat Crew Training School at the Army Air Base there.

In September 1944 he was released from a replacement squadron and sent to the 94th Bomb Group stationed at AAF Station 468 (Rougham Airfield, aka RAF Bury St Edmunds) in Rougham, Suffolk, England. Rougham was a 94th Bomb Group airfield that was home to the B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. On November 2, 1944 he was the B.T. (Ball Turret) Gunner aboard Bounvin' [sic] Annie serial number 42-102577 on a bombing run to Merseburg. The visibility at altitude was good. Piloting the B-17 was 1st Lt. Wesley P. Peterson (O-757134). Eyewitness accounts reported the aircraft was hit by a direct flak burst on the wing midway between #4 and #4 [sic] engines while flying over the target, seconds after bombs away. The aircraft disintegrated. Two (2) chutes were observed. Two of the crew survived and were taken prisoner. S/Sgt. Azer was one of the crew killed that day. His body was recovered by the enemy and returned to U.S. custody after the war.

Later in May 1949, during the government's body recovery program, his remains were returned home and buried in the Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, NY with full military honors. He was awarded the Purple Heart posthumously.

This story is part of the Stories Behind the Stars project. This is a national effort of volunteers to write the stories of all 421,000+ of the US WWII fallen on Together We Served and Fold3.

(Please see - http://www.storiesbehindthestars.org).

Can you help us write these stories? Together We Served and Fold3/Find A Grave have smartphone apps that will allow people to visit any war memorial or cemetery and read these stories of WWII fallen.

If you noticed anything erroneous in this profile or have additional information to contribute, please contact Jim Greenberg at jim.greenberg@oneonta.edu.

SBTSProject/New York/Oneida

Sources

Alphabetical Master Cards, 1942–1947; Series VI, Card Files—Bureau of War Records, Master Index Cards, 1943–1947; National Jewish Welfare Board, Bureau of War Records, 1940–1969; I-52; boxes 273–362. New York, New York: American Jewish Historical Society, Center for Jewish History.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176522783/james_h-azer: accessed October 16, 2025), memorial page for SSGT James H Azer (18 May 1924–2 Nov 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 176522783, citing Forest Hill Cemetery, Utica, Oneida County, New York, USA; Maintained by Frank R Williams (contributor 48822118).

"Hero's Body Due Today", Utica Daily Press, Utica, NY, May 23, 1949, pg. 16

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For New York State, 10/16/1940 - 03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Morning Reports for August 1944: Roll 180: NAID: 564961307: Series: Morning Reports: Record Group: 64: Records of the National Archives and Records Administration.

National Archives, College Park, Maryland, 20740, Downed Allied Aircraft Kampfflugzeug Unterlagen (KU) Reports, KU-3266, Record Group 242: National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized.

"Sgt. Azer's Body Coming Home; Hero Went Down with His B-17", Utica Observer Dispatch, Utica, NY, May 26, 1949, pg. 6-A.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Troy, Rensselaer, New York; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 0099; FHL microfilm: 2341373

Year: 1940; Census Place: Troy, Rensselaer, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02759; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 42-132

Missing Air Crew Report  (36 pages)

Supporting Documents