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name
BURKE, John David Jr - Date of
birth
22 November 1923 -
Age
20 - Place of
birth
South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana -
Hometown
Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
35096550 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Assistent Armorer/Left Waist Gunner -
Unit
338th Bombardment Squadron,
96th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
8 May 1944 - Place of
death
In the vicinity of Schwarmstedt, 6 km west of Gut Hustedt, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 20 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
John D. Burke (father)
Lillian F. (Mills) Burke (mother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102525 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Destination: Berlin
Mission: Bombing of the city
MACR: 4576
More information
S/Sgt John D. Burke Jr. graduated from Shortridge High School. He attended Purdue University two years where he was active in basketball, football, tennis and R.O.T.C. He was majoring in chemical engineering.He enlisted at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana on 11 March 1943.
The airplane was attacked by fighters and broke in half prior to the crash. The entire crew of 10 was killed.
Eight of them were recovered and buried at the Jewish cemetery of Hoya on 10 May 1944. Only the remains of James V. Ball, then listed as unknown, was buried at the Russian POW Cemetery of Vechta on 11 May 1944. Eight days after the crash, a Luftwaffe guard detail discovered the totally burned remains of the last two crewmembers in the wrackage (Edward J. Bondy and Charles B. Birdsey). Their are no records what happened with these bodies.
Source of information: Raf Dyckmans, Peter Schouteten www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.newspapers.com - The Indianapolis Star, www.ancestry.com - Birth Certificate
Photo source: Peter Schouteten