Memorial

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2nd Lt Burns graduated from Norfolk High School in 1941.

He volunteered for the Air Corps of the Army of the United States in Baltimore, Maryland on 12 March 1942.

The field order for the mission called for 12 aircraft, off which six would break off the formation and bomb the generation station and gas works at Haarlem, when they would reach the coast and the other six would continue their route to bomb the power plant of IJmuiden. However, only eleven planes were serviceable, because many were still under flak damage repair from the mission the day before. Every crew knew this mission would be one they would not survive. After taking off, they soon nosed over to 50 feet to get under the German radar. A little later, approximately 30 miles from the Dutch coast, one of the aircraft experienced electrical problems and headed back to England. When they turned, they climbed to 1,000 feet what would be considered common sense with a lame aircraft. However, by climbing, the aircraft placed itself within German radar coverage thus alerting German defenses. As the remaining aircraft approached the coast, several sea vessels appeared ahaed in the flight path. The formation changed course to avoid surface fire from these vessels, with the result they reached the coast at a point with one of the most heavily defended areas in the Netherlands. In very little time, five aircraft were shot down. The remaining aircraft believed they were close to there targets but they were still miles away. After 10 minutes without recognizing any landmarks, they thought they saw the Haarlem works, but it was a gas holder on the west side of Amsterdam. They dropped their bombs but all bombs fell short and caused no damage. Unknown to the crews, the heading taken from this target headed them directly for the heavily defended port area near IJmuiden. Also all remaining aircraft were shot down.

From the moment the flight reached the Dutch coast, several planes were shot down. The surviving B-26's headed between Delft and
Rotterdam with B-26 #41-18080 leading the first flight. Near Bodegraven, while carrying out violent evasive action, it collided with B-26 #41-17991 was leading the second element. Both B-26's crashed in flames with only two survivors.
B-26 #41-17999, severely damaged by debris
from the two colliding aircraft, belly landed his
unmanageable B-26 into a field at Meye.