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Personal info

Full name
BURWICK, Norman Nelson "Buzz "
Date of birth
27 February 1920
Age
24
Place of birth
Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas
Hometown
Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas

Military service

Service number
O-753854
Rank
First Lieutenant
Function
Pilot
Unit
323rd Bombardment Squadron,
91st Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster,
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
19 July 1944
Place of death
Near Huglfing, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Lorraine
Plot Row Grave
K 16 20

Immediate family

Members
Arthur H. Burwick (father)
Lila M. (Berg) Burwick (mother)
Charlye M. Burwick (sister)
Lillia M. Burwick (sister)
Gaylord L. Burwick (half-brother)
Mary J. (Alexander) Burwick (wife)
Barbara L. Burwick (daughter)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31542
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Bunky
Destination: Lechfeld, Germany
Mission: Bombing of the airfield
MACR: 7417

More information

1st Lt Norman N. Burwick graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and attended Tulane University. He was an actor before he joined the Regular Army in Houston Texas on 5 March 1941.

Sgt Bartolomeo Zanotto:
Aircraft B-17G 42-107075 and B-17G 42-31542 were last seen just past the I. P. and during the bomb run or about 7 minutes before bombs away. The two aircraft were flying on our right. It appeared that aircraft B-17G 42-107075 got in the prop wash of an aircraft ahead or the aircraft momentarily was out of control for he slipped to his left and his left wing crashed into the right horizontal stabilizer of aircraft B-17G 42-31542. Each aircraft then pulled to the outside, 075 to the right and 542 to the left. At this point the tail section of aircraft 542 broke off at about the main entrance door and rocketed about 200 feet upward, then it went down in a diving spin and went out of sight into clouds. Aircraft 075 went down in a slow fat spin and when last seen appeared to be pulling out of dive and leveling off. He then was last from view in the clouds. No parachutes were seen to come from either of these aircraft.

He had no time to bail out.

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.abmc.gov, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Headstone and Interment Record / Thomas Burwick Family Tree, www.fold3.com - MACR, www.findagrave.com – Carl Weaver, www.newspapers.com – The Beaumont Enterprise - 19 April 1945

Photo source: www.findagrave.com – J / Carl Weaver