Earl Burton Groves was born on September 13, 1920, in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of William Earl Groves and Susan Elizabeth "Susie" Calhoun Groves. He enlisted in the service on November 9, 1942. He served in the 703rd Bomber Squadron, 445th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and Radio Operator of B-24 #42-51532 nicknamed "Hot Rock" during World War II.

On September 27, 1944, “Hot Rock” departed RAF Tibenham, England, as part of a bombing mission against targets in the Kassel, Germany area. During the operation, the 445th Bomb Group became separated from the main bomber stream and was left exposed to concentrated German fighter attacks. Under intense aerial assault and without effective escort, Hot Rock was shot down over central Germany during the fierce air battle that inflicted devastating losses on the group that day. The destruction of the aircraft was officially recorded in its U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report and formed part of the catastrophic Kassel mission, one of the heaviest single-day losses suffered by a U.S. heavy bombardment group in the European air war.

TSgt Groves was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Beechwoods Cemetery, Falls Creek, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, U.S. Army Air Forces Missing Air Crew Report (MACR)