James McCrea was born on 5th April 1924 in Galt, Ontario, Canada to Douglas Alexander and Margaret Ellen McCrea (nee Sharp). The family lived in Ontario for the first twelve years of his life and then moved to Montreal, Quebec. Straight out of high school in 1940 he begun working as a chemist's assistant involved in steel analyst for the Canadian Car and Foundary company at Longue Point, Montreal. The company would build Hawker Hurricane aircraft on contract as part of the war effort as well as manufacturing other products. He enlisted for RCAF service in Montreal on 16th February 1943 as aircrew and trained was awarded his Navigator's badge on 28th January 1944 on completion of his training in Canada, he was granted a commission on the same date and was promoted to the rank of P/O. He then left for service overseas in late April 1944 and on arrival in England he was posted to 1 (O)AFU on 13th June 1944, 22 OTU on 25th July 1944 joining Frank Mooney's crew and then to "61 Base" on 18th October 1944. "61 Base" included attachments to Dalton Battle School and then to 1659 HCU on 1st December 1944.
James McCrea was still just twenty years old and was buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery, Yorkshire on 20th January 1945 alongside many of the others killed in this accident. His parent's address around the time of his death is also listed as being St.Eustache sur le Lac, Province of Quebec, Canada.