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Personal info

Full name
BURAN, Walter Joseph
Date of birth
4 October 1917
Age
25
Place of birth
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Hometown
Benwood, Marshall County, West Virginia

Military service

Service number
35376557
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Ball Turret Gunner
Unit
535th Bombardment Squadron,
381st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 August 1943
Place of death
Rozenburg, west of Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
J 3 19

Immediate family

Members
Frank Buran (father)
Stella Buran (mother)

Plane data

Serial number
42-3101
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Man O'War
Destination: Gilze-Rijen, the Netherlands
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 662

More information

After making a second run on the target, the group turned to return to their home base. At that moment it was attacked by enemy fighters from a nine o'clock angle. This B-17 was hit by 20 mm canon fire which caused to #3 gaz tank and, soon, the entire inboard section of the right wing to burn furiously. The aircraft left the formation, still under control, in an easy, slightly diving turn to the right, turning back into enemy-occupied territory.

Six crew members survived and were taken prisoner, four were killed.

Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record, WWII Draft Cards; West Virginia Memory Project

Photo source: Peter Schouteten / www.findagrave.com