Husband of Jane Wagner Burns who resided in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
James served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-17G "Old Hickory" #42-97509, 358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Kent County, Michigan prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 6, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Ticket Agent and also as Single, without dependents.
He was married sometime after his enlistment.
B-17G #42-97509 took off from Molesworth, England on a bombing missioin over Frankfurt, Germany. They were attacked by multiple German aircraft which damaged their #1 & #3 engines and they eventually crashed 14 miles southwest of Dinant, Belgium.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-682787
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-97509:
Burns, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MI
Wilson, David L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
The rest of the crew became POW's.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-17G "Old Hickory" #42-97509, 358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Kent County, Michigan prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 6, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Ticket Agent and also as Single, without dependents.
He was married sometime after his enlistment.
B-17G #42-97509 took off from Molesworth, England on a bombing missioin over Frankfurt, Germany. They were attacked by multiple German aircraft which damaged their #1 & #3 engines and they eventually crashed 14 miles southwest of Dinant, Belgium.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-682787
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-97509:
Burns, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MI
Wilson, David L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
The rest of the crew became POW's.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Husband of Jane Wagner Burns who resided in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
James served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-17G "Old Hickory" #42-97509, 358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Kent County, Michigan prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 6, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Ticket Agent and also as Single, without dependents.
He was married sometime after his enlistment.
B-17G #42-97509 took off from Molesworth, England on a bombing missioin over Frankfurt, Germany. They were attacked by multiple German aircraft which damaged their #1 & #3 engines and they eventually crashed 14 miles southwest of Dinant, Belgium.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-682787
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-97509:
Burns, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MI
Wilson, David L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
The rest of the crew became POW's.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James served as a Second Lieutenant and Co-Pilot on B-17G "Old Hickory" #42-97509, 358th Bomber Squadron, 303rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Kent County, Michigan prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on April 6, 1942 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Ticket Agent and also as Single, without dependents.
He was married sometime after his enlistment.
B-17G #42-97509 took off from Molesworth, England on a bombing missioin over Frankfurt, Germany. They were attacked by multiple German aircraft which damaged their #1 & #3 engines and they eventually crashed 14 miles southwest of Dinant, Belgium.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
He was awarded an Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # O-682787
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-97509:
Burns, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MI
Wilson, David L ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
The rest of the crew became POW's.
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Inscription
2Lt 358 Bomb Sq 303 Bomb Michigan 2 Mar 1944
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