Douglas Warren Norris, born in Hamilton, Ontario, December 26, 1916, attended Port Huron Junior College and graduated in 1937. He took his preliminary flight training at Gross Ile, Naval Base in June, 1938. Here he was appointed an Aviation Cadet in the Naval Reserve on November 23, 1938. From there he was transferred to Pensacola, Florida for further training. He was promoted to Ensign on October 23, 1939, and then transferred to San Diego, California, where he spent two months. His squadron flew to Honolulu on December 31, 1939, and it was his squadron that was the first to fly the Pacific (previous squadrons were transferred by carrier). 

He spent eight months at Pearl Harbor, during which time he was selected as an outstanding officer to take a cruise on a ship to the South Seas. On his return from the cruise, he was transferred to the Philippines. He was stationed at the Cavite Naval Base, and was there when war broke out. He was on patrol duty at the time, and did not get back to the base. It was there he lost all of his personal effects. From there he went to Java, and then to Australia, New Zealand, and arrived at the United States on March 31, 1942. His next duty was in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he became an instructor of advanced aviation students. 

On September 3, 1942, Lieutenant Douglas Norris lost his life during a routine night flight.

Link to the collection's Descriptive Finding Guide.