J. B. Latham was born on July 7, 1916, in Farmersville, Collin County, Texas. He was the son of Jeremiah William Emmet Latham and Mattie Frances Cloud Latham. He was married to Louise Schilling. He served in the 751st Bomber Squadron, 457th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Co-Pilot of B-17 (42-97465) known as ''Scarlet Harlot'' during World War II.
On April 9, 1944, "Scarlet Harlot" took part in a large-scale bombing operation over the Baltic coast, targeting German factories involved in Focke-Wulf aircraft production near Gdynia (then Gotenhafen). During the mission, "Scarlet Harlot" was hit by intense German anti-aircraft fire and eventually went down near Osiek Lęborski, Poland. While the pilot did not survive the crash, most of the crew managed to parachute out, though they were soon captured and taken as prisoners of war. Tragically, two crew members who bailed out were later found deceased due to injuries sustained during their descent.
1Lt Latham was captured by German forces, became a Prisoner of War, and was held in Stalag Luft I, Barth, Germany. He was liberated at the end of the war. In 1946, he re-enlisted in the newly formed U.S. Air Force as a master sergeant and retired on June 30, 1955. His second career brought him to the U.S. Post Office in Grants Pass, where he worked until his health forced him to retire in 1969. 1Lt Latham died on October 3, 1991, and is now buried in the Eagle Point National Cemetery, Eagle Point, Jackson County, Oregon, USA.
Source of information: www.trojmiasto.pl, ww.americanairmuseum.com