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name
KEMPER, Norbert Frank - Date of
birth
23 September 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
Stearns County, Minnesota -
Hometown
Hennepin County, Minnesota
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
17154846 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Top Turret Gunner -
Unit
773rd Bombardment Squadron,
463rd Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
5 May 1944 - Place of
death
Near Ploesti, Romania
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 10 | 30 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Henry J. Kemper (father)
Emma J. (Weber) Kemper (mother)
Harlan Kemper (brother)
Gilbert Kemper (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-97583 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Ploesti, Romania
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 4712
More information
T/Sgt Norbert F. Kemper graduated from Melrose High School and was a mechanic.He volunteered for the U.S. Army at Fort Snelling, Minnesota on 30 October 1942.
Statement from S/Sgt Frank R. Barton:
"B-17G No. 42-97583, 5 May 1944, was shot down on a bombing raid over Ploesti, Romania. When I saw the ship, the right wing was aflame. The ship fell out of formation and dropped about 500 feet before going into a slow spiral. About a third of the way down it exploded. When it hit the ground there was another explosion. I possibly saw one parachute open before the plane hit the ground."
Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Astrid van Erp, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Minnesota, Birth Index / 1940 Census, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.newspapers.com - The Minneapolis Star
Photo source: Jac Engels, www.newspapers.com - The Minneapolis Star