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Personal info

Full name
BURNS, Alwin Caruthers Jr
Date of birth
14 April 1921
Age
23
Place of birth
Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina
Hometown
Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina

Military service

Service number
O-708876
Rank
Second Lieutenant
Function
Bombardier/Navigator
Unit
671st Bombardment Squadron,
416th Bombardment Group, Light
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
29 September 1944
Place of death
Between Aldenhoven and Düboslar near Jülich, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Margraten
Plot Row Grave
L 10 16

Immediate family

Members
Alwin C. Burns Sr. (father)
Fanny R. (Buchanan) Burns (mother)
Frances Burns (brother)
Richard B. Burns (brother)

Plane data

Serial number
43-21724
Data
Type: A-20J Havoc
MACR: 9274

More information

2nd Lt Alwin C. Burns, Jr. graduated from Sumter High School in 1938 and Davidson College in June, 1942.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on 12 July 1942 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The afternoon mission on 29 September 1944 for the 416th Bomb Group, was to the Jülich Marschalling Yards. A direct hit of flak caused a gastank to explode, downing the aircraft by Lt De Mand with all crew as casualties.

He was first buried at the Temporary American Military Cemetery Ardennes in Neuville-en-Condroz, Belgium.

Source of information: Michel Beckers, Ron Wintjens, Rick Greer, Terry Hirsch, www.ancestry.com - U.S., Headstone and Interment Records for U.S. Military Cemeteries on Foreign Soil / 1930/1940 Census / United States World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946 / 1930 United States Federal Census

Photo source: Peter Schouteten and Jeannick Tapell, Davidson College Yearbook - 1942