Burnside, Ernest, William

Rank and Name, Staff Sergeant Ernest William Burnside.

Unit/Placed in, 64th Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bomber Group, Heavy.

Ernest is born approx. on 10 Oct. 1919 in Alexander, West Virginia.

Father, Guy Nathan Steven Burnside.

Mother, Rosa Ann (DeBarr) Burnside.

Sister(s), Ma C. Ocie Velma, Rachel O. Mabel Ruth. and Mary Luvina Burnside.

Brother(s), Albert Jacob, Lee Roy and James Elson Burnside.

Ernest enlisted the service in Pennsylvania with service number # 33082604.

Ernest‘s Crew-members and their position on-board the plane a B-17 were,

Captain Joseph G. Weddes Pilot

2^nd Lt. Leon S. King Co Pilot

1^st Lt. Leslie S. Neuman Bombardier

2^nd Lt. William A. Bujold Navigator

2^nd Lt. Saul Albert Radio Operator

T/Sgt. William M. Moore Engineer

T/Sgt. Emil Gentry Top Turret Gunner

SSgt. Ernest W. Burnside Ball Turret Gunner

Corp. John L. Mulligan Right Waist Gunner

Corp. John L Honold Left Waist Gunner

Pvt. Robert E. George Tail Gunner

Five bailed out of the shot plane, four of the crew: Neuman, Burnside, Mulligan and George were captured by the Japanese Navy and transported to Rabaul and detained by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Keibitai (Naval Special Police) at Japanese Navy POW Camp at Rabaul. On November 25, 1943 all four plus along with Sgt Robert A. Curry (gunner aboard B-17E “Honi Kuu Okole” 41-9244) plus seven other prisoners were executed by the Japanese at Rabaul.

Ernest was KIA after they been shot by a Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko and crashed on 25 Nov. 1943, he is honored with an Distinguished Flying Cross, Silvers Star Medal, Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Army Presidential Unit Citation, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WW II Victory Medal.

Ernest is buried/mentioned at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Manila, Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines.

Walls of the missing.

Thanks to, https://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-17/41-9011.html

https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LTF7-4TG

Jean Louis Vijgen, ww2-Pacific.com and Europe 1940-1945 on Facebook.

Air Force Info, Rolland Swank.

ABMC Website, https://abmc.gov

Marines Info, https://missingmarines.com/ Geoffrey Roecker

Seabees History Bob Smith https://seabeehf.org/

Navy Info, http://navylog.navymemorial.org

POW Info, http://www.mansell.com Dwight Rider and Wes injerd.

Philippine Info, http://www.philippine-scouts.org/ Robert Capistrano