 Hailing originally from Detroit, Michigan, Morris was assigned to the 77th.FS. He was reportedly the first ace of the ETO, scoring all of his victories in P-38s. He was one of the top scorers in the European Theater in this type.
Morris' best scoring day came in February, 1944 when he downed two Fw-190s and two Me-109s:
"...On February 8, 1944 the 20th.FG was on another long-range mission when a P-38 in the 77th.FS developed engine troubles. The flight containing this airplane was given permission to drop down to 12,000 feet and go on home. The pilots were unhappy about it. For awhile, anyone. One pilot, Lt. James M. Morris, liked the way his airplane behaved way down there at 12,000 feet. Sneaking for home he spotted a German fighter at low altitude. He peeled off and dove with everything he had -- no worry about the compressibility down here. He clobbered the other plane and climbed back up to his flight. Then he saw another Jerry, and repeated the performance. He blinked when a third target presented itself -- and got his third kill of the day. Near Saarburg, now well separated from his flight, he blew up a locomotive. He turned for home, saw another fighter ahead of him, and creamed number four. The fact that this was, at the time, a record for the number of kills on a single mission for all American pilots in Europe, understandably brought some new attention to the P-38." -- Martin Caidin, " Fork-Tailed Devil: The P-38".
On 7 July 1944 he was about to down an Me-410 when the German plane turned the tables and shot him down. He parachuted safely from his aircraft, was subsequently captured by the enemy and spent the remainder of the war as a POW.
His highest scoring day came while he was flying P-38 serial# 42-67871 Squadron code: LC-G, however his normal mount was P-38 serial# 42-67717 Squadron code: LC-E which he named "My Dad / Til We Meet Again."
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CAPT. JAMES M. "SLICK" MORRIS
