Jessel (Jim) was born on 21 March 1921 in Leeds, Yorkshire to Julius and Maud née Josephs. His father was born in Glasgow to Polish parents and from there the family moved to Leeds. In 1901, Julius was listed as working as a comedy act, in 1911, a tailor and in 1939, a film traveller.

Jim is remembered by family as being a joker and aspiring actor who enlisted in 1941 training as a navigator. He was the navigator on Halifax DT778 which departed RAF Melbourne at 19.30 to undertake an operation to bomb Essen. The Operations Record Book states: The aircraft failed to return from this mission, no message being received after aircraft had left base. All the crew were killed and are buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.

A/G, Frank Patrick Crawford, 631115
Pilot, John Dickinson, 142572
A/G, Leslie John Gait, 1315144
F/E, Henry Edward Henden, 634581
W/Op, John Ernest Smith, 1263058
A/B, Frederick Wade Stanners, 1038690