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name
BURGESS, Harold David - Date of
birth
21 May 1921 -
Age
23 - Place of
birth
Bertha, Todd County, Minnesota -
Hometown
Woodside Township, Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
37542976 -
Rank
Staff Sergeant -
Function
Air Gunner -
Unit
828th Bombardment Squadron,
485th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
8 July 1944 - Place of
death
Gerasdorf, Austria
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 8 | 10 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Clarence H Burgess (father)
Elsie V (Summerfield) Burgess (mother)
Margaret E Burgess (sister)
Ronald E Burgess (brother)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-52674 -
Data
Type: B-24H
Destination: Vienna, Austria
Mission: Bombing of the oil refinery
MACR: 6587
More information
S/Sgt Peter O'Brian states in the Missing Aircrew Report:"I was tail gunner in ship number 721, flying high box, lead wave on a bombing mission over Florisdorf, Austria, on 8 June 1944. I first saw the ship, in which 1st Lt Bearden was pilot, on fire and the right wing dipped. The ship was in a glide at that time, and in my opinion the pilot was trying to regain the control of the ship. The ship was losing altitude very fast, and I saw no parachutes. The ship was at approximately 16,000 feet when my attention was called to fighter planes coming at nine o'clock. I later looked back in the general area where I had last seen the ship, and I saw no parachutes, nor could I locate the ship itself."
Source of information: Michel Beckers, Terry Hirsch, WWII Memorial, Fold3, 485th Bomb Group, WWII Draft Card, 1930 US Census
Photo source: Michel Beckers, Jerry Whiting, Peter Schouteten