Virgil Wayne Walton was born on December 3, 1920. He was the son of Thomas Bone Walton and Blanche Beatrice Walton.
Virgil served in the 849th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Corporal and Top Turret Gunner on the B-17 #43-38050 during World War II. He was killed in action on January 5, 1945, during a practice mission while approaching the north-eastern outskirts of Bury St. Edmonds. Their airplane collided with #43-38111 flown by 2Lt Donald L. Wood. His airplane broke up into hundreds of pieces. He and six members of the crew including one crew member who bailed out with his parachute on fire and fell to his death were killed.
Cpl Walton is now buried in the Marrowbone Township Cemetery, Bethany, Moultrie County, Illinois, USA.
The crew members who were killed:
Pilot: Harry Adelman
Co-Pilot: Charles Elder
Navigator: Arthur A. Saye
Top Turret Gunner: Virgil Walton
instr Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harold S. Bennett, Jr.
Radio Operator: Don Tuttle
instr Radio Operator: Harvey Smetzer
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, 3rd Air Division 8th Air Force USAF 1942-45: Flying Fortress and Liberator Squadrons in Norfolk and Suffolk by Martin W. Bowman