In service
July 2, 1942 Fort Bragg
Twin brothers Edward R. Norton and James A. Norton Jr. were obsessed with flying. After two years of study they signed up as volunteers in the US Air Force. They were trained as bomber pilots.
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Stationed in England
Dec 1942, Bury St. Edmunds
In December 1942 and after their Flight Training Edward and James were sent to England and assigned to the 452nd Bombardment Squadron. At full strength their B-26 Bomb Squadron consisted of 16 aircraft and 377 men.
See Edward & James' Combat route Map 1>
The second mission
May 17, 1943, North Sea
On May 17, 1943 the Norton brothers flew their first mission in a convoy of 11 Martin
B-26 Marauder bombers. Targets: the power stations of Velsen and Haarlem. The mission ended in tragedy. All the bombers were shot down.
See Edward & James' Combat Route Map 2>
Body washed ashore
July 26, 1943 Haarlem
In September 1945 - more than two years after the disaster - Mr. Norton heard from the Mayor of Haarlem that James' body had been washed up on the beach on 26 July. Edward's body was never recovered.
See Edward & James' Combat route Map 3>
Final resting place
after the war, Margraten
After the war, the Norton family decided that Edward & James should find their final resting place in Margraten. Of the crew members killed on 17 May 1943, twelve are buried in Margraten, including James (P-16-5). Edward's name can be seen on the Walls of the Missing along with the names of seven other crew members.
See Edward & James' Combat route map 4>
July 1943 (?)
Registration ARC
September 1943
to the UK
July 16, 1944
Landing on Utah Beach
March 15, 1945
Siegfriedlinie
May 1, 1945
Died on pleasure flight
June 19, 1945
Buried in Margraten, Block RR, Row 12 Grave 290
February 18, 1943
Air Evac. Nurse diploma
Jan. 15, 1944
Married
July 26, 1943
Body washed up
March - Augus 1943
Panama
June 1944
To Europa
November 23, 1943
Departure for Europa
January 20, 1944
Arriving in England
June 1944
Landing Omaha Beach
US enters the war
December 11, 1941
Nazi Germany declares war on the US
Turnaround WWII
Februari 2, 1943
Battle of Stalingrad: Red Army defeats Germans
The Norton twins
Born aviators
Family
James is buried in Margraten, but the body of his twin brother Edward was never found. He is mentioned on the Walls of the Missing.
Growing up in Conway
The Norton brothers were fascinated by flying and airplanes from an early age. They built model airplanes and flew them. When they went to Conway High School, at the age of 14, they persuaded their parents to buy them a secondhand plane. Their father even bought a piece of land where they could build a landing runway. By the time they finished High School at the age of 18, they had both already made about 50 flight hours.
Conway High school and Main street Clemson University 1939