Vell Ardell Hansard Jr
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Back Row (viewer's left to right):
1.S/Sgt. Edward F. Briske, Ball Turret
2.S/Sgt. James R. Fowler, Tail Gunner
3.Cpl. Kenneth Hesterly, Togglier
4.T/Sgt. Robert Cantwell, Radio
5.T/Sgt. William Lake, Engineer
Object Number - UPL 15249 - Crew photo taken on 27 April 1944. Lieutenant V. A. Hansard is kneeling on the left hand side. Co-pilot Lt. Robert L. Davis is kneeling in the middle...
V.A. Hansard was Killed in Action (KIA) when returning from a mission to Merseburg, Germany in B-17 42-107214 on 25 November 1944.
He was attempting to land, as he had only ten minutes of fuel left in the tank, but there was thick ground fog that limited visibility to 100 feet. The right side of the aircraft struck something on the ground as they came down so Hansard and his co-pilot Davis pulled the ship back up to 200 feet and ordered the others to bail out.
The navigator managed to bail out but his parachute did not open in time to save his life.
Six other crew members bailed out successfully and survived. They stated in the MACR 15257 that 'they owe their lives to the quick thinking and skill of the pilot and co-pilot'.
Both the pilot, Hansard, and his co-pilot, 2/Lt. Robert L Davis, were killed as the aircraft crashed.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 398th Bomb Group 600th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 19182423, O-770966
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 398th Bomb Group
Missions
- Date: 25 November 1944
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Cambridge American Military Cemetery
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Donley County, TX, USA | 7 November 1923 | |
|
Based |
Nuthampstead | 1 January 1944 - 25 November 1944 | |
|
Died Killed in Action (KIA) |
Barkway, Royston, Hertfordshire SG8, UK | 25 November 1944 | Crashed in bad weather on return from Merseburg mission. The aircraft came down into Read Wood, near Barkway, Hertfordshire, UK |
|
Buried |
Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial Coton,Cambridge, UK | 1 January 1946 | InterredCambridge American CemeteryPlot E Row 5 Grave 93 |
|
Other Memorialised |
Rowe Cemetery, Hedley, TX 79237, USA | 1 January 1948 | CommemoratedRowe CemeteryHedley, Donley County, Texas |
Revisions
Combined two entries for V A Hansard. This entry now includes information from the following sources:
Combat Chronology; 398th History, Vol II / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
Ancestry record: http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/4548864/person/-1208841955/facts
Changed name from 'Jr Va Mansard' to V A Hansard Jr' as per: http://398th.org/History/KIA/Killed_Combat.html
Then to 'Vell Ardell Hansard' as per: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=hansard&GSfn=v&GS…;
ABMC record: http://www.abmc.gov/search-abmc-burials-and-memorializations/detail/WWI…
The city's name is Merseburg, not Merseberg. I often work there ;-)
398th History, Vol II / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
