Norman Freelyn Walker was born 22 April 1923 in Piney Flats, Tennessee, the son of Dumas Alexander Walker and Lessie Gay Webb. He was married to Virginia J. Lemus.
Died 16 February 1945
Second Lieutenant
450th Bomber Group, 723rd Bomber Squadron, Heavy, 15th Air Force
Aircraft B-24H with serial number 41-14526 departed from Manduria Air Base in Italy on a combat mission to Hall West M/Y in Austria.
Statement from Glenn E. Guoan:
On 16 February 1945, our group was on a mission to bomb the west marshalling yards at Hall, Austria. I was flying tail turret gunner in ship number 787 in the number seven position in the second box in the first attack unit. Lieutenant Stiede was pilot of a B-24H type aircraft, serialnumber 41-28607 flying in the number eight position of the same element. Approximately three minutes before reaching the I.P. (Initialy Point), I noticed Lieutenant Stiede’s aircraft dropping behind the formation with her number two engine smoking. Then our formation had to change course to get out of the way of a formation of B-17’s. At this time, the aircraft I was flying in tagged onto another box and I saw Lieutenant Stiede’s aircraft peel off heading towards the mountains. When I last saw this aircraft, the number two engine was still smoking. The ship was under control and losing altitude. The altitude was approximately twenty thousand feet. The time was 1215. The coordinates were 47 degrees 56 N – 10 degrees 48 E. I failed to see any parachutes leave the aircraft. The aircraft crashed northwest of Voltane into the sea. F/O Levenson was the only survivor. He succeeded to get out of the machine after it hit the water. The rest of the crewmembers were initially buried at the Cemetery of Fontane.
Crew members
Pilot, 2nd Lt Charles Stiede
Co-Pilot, F/O Robert N. Levenson
Navigator, F/O Reece F. Davis Jr.
Bombardier, 2nd Lt Norman F. Walker
AEG, Cpl Cecil F. Roscoe
ROG, Cpl Larry E. De Spain
AAEG, Cpl Gailon G. Gunter
AROG, Sgt Robert P. Schafer
AG, Cpl Vernon J. Collins
AAG, Cpl Burl B. Price
The Bristol Herald Courier, June 19, 1949
The body of Second Lieutenant Norman F. Walker, who was killed in action in a bombing mission over Germany in 1945, will arrive here at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Funeral service will be at Poplar Ridge Christian Church. Burial will be in Poplar Ridge Cemetery.
A native of Piney Flats, Lt. Walker was born April, 22, 1923, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dumas A. Walker. He was graduated from Mary Hughes High School in 1940, attending Milligan College and was employed by Tennessee Eastman Corporation prior to his induction. He was married to Virginia J. Lemus of Corona, Cal., Dec. 8, 1944. He was a member of the Christian Church. Induction into the Army Feb. 7, 1943, Lt. Walker received basic training at Miami Beach, Fla., and Chanute Field, Ill; and later training as an air student at Miami Beach, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Santa Ana, Cal. Following graduation from gunnery school at Las Vegas, Nev., he receive his bombardier wings at Roswell, N.M. and was commissioned second lieutenant on Sept. 2, 1944. He went overseas in early 1945, taking part in heavy bombing over Germany. He was reported missing in action as of Feb. 16, 1945, and was later reported killed. Survivors include his parents; widow and two brothers, Duard B. and John Wallace Walker, Piney Flats.
- Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Date of birth: 22 April 1923
- Date of death: 16 February 1945
- County: Sullivan
- Hometown: Piney Flats
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 450th Bomber Group, 723rd Bomber Squadron, Heavy
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Poplar Ridge Cemetery, Piney Flats, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar XVIII, Middle Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Norman F. Walker
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