View source for JAMES W. CROWTHER, 1LT, USMC

{{KeyDates|DoB=December 10, 1911|DoD=December 23, 1940|Age=29|name_class=James Crowther '35}}

{{LuckyBag|LBLink=https://archive.org/details/luckybag1935unse|class=1935
|picture=1935 Crowther LB.jpg
|LBName=JAMES WHITE CROWTHER
|LBHometown=Longmeadow, Massachusetts
|LBNickname="Jim" "Red"
|LBText=JIM likes to fiddle with firearms, and having served his apprenticeship with a hunting rifle, he decided to drop down to the Academy to see if these stories about the big guns were true. Though not exactly a savoir, he has had no difficulty in standing high in subjects relating to things explosive. For recreation he goes over to the rifle range, and has won his bull's eye and bronze medal for excellence in target practice. Jim is very determined in his views, but has the courage of his convictions, as arguments in bull sessions have demonstrated. His interest in small mechanical gadgets is manifested in the automatic door stop he devised Second Class Year.
|LBECAs=''Rifle 2, 1, Numeral. Lucky Bag Staff 1. 1 P.O.''}}

== Loss ==
James was lost on December 23, 1940 when the [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/78967552/ Navy bomber he was aboard crashed] near Havana, Cuba.

From [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29737299/lieutenant_james_w_crowther/ the March 9, 1941 edition of Pensacola News Journal]:
<blockquote>
ANOTHER ARRIVAL of special interest is Mrs. James W. Crowther (Anna Lucia Rangel), who has returned to Pensacola, after visiting Mrs. R. W. Crowther in Longmeadow, Mass.

THE DEATH OF First Lieutenant James W. Crowther came as a great shock to Pensacola. His bride learned of his death from the Navy department on Christmas-Eve. He was killed in a plane crash while a passenger from Havana to Guantanamo. The pilot also was killed.

HE AND LUCIA were married last fall in Norfolk at the home of Captain and Mrs. Guy M. Morrow, and she was their guest en route to Pensacola. She is the guest now of her mother, Mrs. Frank Marston.

LIEUT. CROWTHER crashed several days before Christmas, but the news did not reach Lucia until Christmas Eve. He was buried January 3rd at the family burying ground in Worcester, Mas. Lucia remained with his mother for a long visit and is now in Pensacola to make her home, because this city is dear to her and because the New England climate is too severe for this girl of the far South, who made her home for so many years at Caracaibo, Venezuela, South America.
</blockquote>

== Other Information ==
From researcher Kathy Franz:
<blockquote>
When his engagement was announced in October 1940, he was attached to the First Marine air group in Quantico, Virginia.

James graduated from Technical High School, Springfield, in 1930. “Jim,” “Red.” Hi-Y 3; Sherman Club 1; Rifle Club 1; Torch Club 1, 2; Forum 1, 2, 3; Crew 2, 3; Class Will 3; Traffic Squad 1, 2, 3. “The tongue is not steel, yet it cuts."
</blockquote>

He was [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/29737569/lieutenant_james_white_crowther_usmc/ also survived by] his mother.

James [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/204281865/james-white-crowther is buried in] Massachusetts.

{{NDexplainer}}
{{ND|date=October 1935|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=Marine Base San Diego, California}}
{{ND|date=January 1936|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=Marine Base San Diego, California|billet=staff}}
{{ND|date=April 1936|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=4th Marine Regiment, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]}}}}
{{ND|date=July 1936|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=4th Marine Regiment, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]}}}}
{{ND|date=January 1937|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=4th Marine Regiment, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]
|column2=[[CHANDLER W. JOHNSON, LTCOL, USMC|1LT Chandler Johnson '29]]}}}}
{{ND|date=April 1937|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=4th Marine Regiment, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]
|column2=[[CHANDLER W. JOHNSON, LTCOL, USMC|1LT Chandler Johnson '29]]}}}}
{{ND|date=September 1937|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=4th Marine Regiment, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]
|column2=[[CHANDLER W. JOHNSON, LTCOL, USMC|1LT Chandler Johnson '29]]}}}}
{{ND|date=January 1938|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=2nd Marine Brigade, China
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RONALD A. BOONE, COL, USMC|CAPT Ronald Boone '20]]}}}}
{{ND|date=July 1938|rank=2nd Lieutenant|command=Marine Barracks, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[CHANDLER W. JOHNSON, LTCOL, USMC|1LT Chandler Johnson '29]]}}}}
{{ND|date=January 1939|rank=1st Lieutenant|command=Marine Barracks, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia}}
{{ND|date=October 1939|rank=1st Lieutenant|command=Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[RENWICK S. CALDERHEAD, LCDR, USN|LT Renwick Calderhead '27]]\<br /\>[[FINLEY E. HALL, CDR, USN|LT Finley Hall '29]]\<br /\>[[JOHN D. HUNTLEY, LCDR, USN|LT John Huntley '31]]\<br /\>[[GEORGE L. BELLINGER, LT, USN|LTjg George Bellinger '32]]\<br /\>[[MARTIN M. KOIVISTO, LT, USN|LTjg Martin Koivisto '32]]\<br /\>[[DANIEL S. GOTHIE, LT, USN|LTjg Daniel Gothie '32]]\<br /\>[[ALBERT S. MAJOR, JR., CAPT, USN|LTjg Albert Major, Jr. '32]]\<br /\>[[JOHN J. MCCORMACK, JR., LCDR, USN|LTjg John McCormack, Jr. '33]]\<br /\>[[ARCHIBALD STONE, JR., LT, USN|LTjg Archibald Stone, Jr. '34]]\<br /\>[[WENDELL H. FROLING, CDR, USN|LTjg Wendell Froling '34]]
|column2=[[FRANCIS X. MAHER, JR., LT, USN|LTjg Francis Maher, Jr. '35]]\<br /\>[[MARK ESLICK, JR., CDR, USN|LTjg Mark Eslick, Jr. '35]]\<br /\>[[DEWITT A. HARRELL, CDR, USN|LTjg Dewitt Harrell '35]]\<br /\>[[WILLIAM T. HULSON, LTJG, USN|LTjg William Hulson '36]]\<br /\>[[WEBSTER C. JOHNSON, LTJG, USN|LTjg Webster Johnson '36]]\<br /\>[[FRANK M. ROBINSON, LTJG, USN|LTjg Frank Robinson '36]]\<br /\>[[JOHN C. HUNTER, LTJG, USN|LTjg John Hunter '36]]\<br /\>[[WALTER B. BAYLESS, LCDR, USN|LTjg Walter Bayless '36]]\<br /\>[[RALPH A. EMBREE, CDR, USN|LTjg Ralph Embree '36]]\<br /\>[[JAMES N. MAYES, LTJG, USN|ENS James Mayes '37]]
|column3=[[HAROLD D. SHRIDER, LTJG, USN|ENS Harold Shrider '37]]\<br /\>[[DONALD D. PATTERSON, LT, USN|ENS Donald Patterson '37]]\<br /\>[[RAYMOND A. MOORE, LT, USN|ENS Raymond Moore '37]]\<br /\>[[PATRICK H. HART, LT, USN|ENS Patrick Hart '37]]\<br /\>[[PAUL J. RILEY, LT, USN|ENS Paul Riley '37]]\<br /\>[[THOMAS E. EDWARDS, JR., LT, USN|ENS Thomas Edwards, Jr. '37]]\<br /\>[[EDWARD H. O'HARE, LCDR, USN|ENS Edward O'Hare '37]]\<br /\>[[MACDONALD THOMPSON, LCDR, USN|ENS Macdonald Thompson '37]]\<br /\>[[HOWARD W. NESTER, JR., LCDR, USN|ENS Howard Nester, Jr. '37]]}}
|others2={{NDcolumns|columns=2|column1=[[JOHN C. WALDRON, LCDR, USN|LCDR John Waldron '24]] (Training Squadron (VN) 1D8)\<br /\>[[JOHN R. YOHO, CDR, USN|LT John Yoho '29]] (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)\<br /\>[[PAUL MORET, LTCOL, USMC|CAPT Paul Moret '30]] (Training Squadron (VN) 3D8)\<br /\>[[ROBERT L. STRICKLER, LCDR, USN|LTjg Robert Strickler '32]] (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)
|column2=[[WILLIAM E. TOWNSEND, CDR, USN|LTjg William Townsend '32]] (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)\<br /\>[[GEORGE M. OTTINGER, CDR, USN|LTjg George Ottinger '32]] (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)\<br /\>[[DEWITT W. SHUMWAY, CDR, USN|LTjg Dewitt Shumway '32]] (Training Squadron (VN) 1D8)\<br /\>[[WILLIAM J. WIDHELM, CAPT, USN|LTjg William Widhelm '32]] (Training Squadron (VN) 5D8)}}}}
{{ND|date=June 1940|rank=1st Lieutenant|command=1st Marine Aircraft Group, Quantico, Virginia|billet=unassigned}}
{{ND|date=November 1940|rank=1st Lieutenant|command=Marine Bombing Squadron (VB) 1M, Quantico, Virginia
|others={{NDcolumns|columns=3|column1=[[HAROLD I. LARSON, LTCOL, USMC|CAPT Harold Larson '31]]}}}}

{{ClassNav|PAGE_ID={{PAGEID}}|Name=James|ClassYear=1935|PreviousPersonLink=THOMAS D. CUMMINS, LTJG, USN|PreviousPersonName=Thomas Cummins '35|NextPersonLink=JACK C. FERGUSON, LTJG, USN|NextPersonName=Jack Ferguson '35}}

[[Category:1935|Crowther]]
[[Category:USNA 5th Company|Crowther]]
[[Category:US Marine Corps|Crowther]]
[[Category:Operational loss|Crowther]]
[[Category:Fixed Wing Passenger|Crowther]]