Henry Randall Bean
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Findagrave.com
Object Number - UPL 57260 - Henry R Bean. KIA 1 May 43
Killed in Action. The assigned target was the u-boat yards at St. Nazaire and a navigational error on return took the group over heavily defended Brest. The B-17 42-29649 was attacked by fighters and set on fire. The pilot landed at Cornwall, the BTG Maynard 'Snuffy' Smith was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions on this day. Bean and 2 others parachuted out of the burning plane and were lost.
Awards: AM (3OLC), EAME, PH.
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: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 34198412
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12042154
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: 306th Bomb Group 423rd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 1 May 1943
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Brittany Cemetary
![A bomber crew of the 306th Bomb Group wave to Picture Post Girls in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 41-24471) nicknamed "Four of a Kind" at Thurleigh in December 1942. Image stamped on reverse: '"Picture Post" [stamp], 'Passed for Publication 11 Dec 1942.' [stamp], '238038.' [Censor no.] Handwritten in censor's blue pencil on reverse: 'American Flying Fortress crew are introduced to the girls they will meet at Picture Post Xmas Party.'](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379028.jpg.webp?itok=6Gc6iR0j)
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Bedford
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Dos Cabezas, Cochise County, Arizona, USA | 11 October 1917 | Son of Thomas P. and Thelma Adelle [Anderson] Bean. |
|
Enlisted |
Los Angeles, CA | 13 October 1941 | Los Angeles, California |
|
Other Killed in Action |
France | 1 May 1943 | |
|
Buried |
Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial | Tablets of the Missing Brittany American Cemetery and Memorial Basse-Normandie, France | |
|
Based |
Thurleigh | 1 May 1943 | Assigned to 423BS, 306BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
Added an association to the 423th BS listed in the A/C #42-29649 description section.
Changed the label of the “Died” event to "Killed in Action (KIA)" per info in the "Summary biography".
Added a connection to the 8th AF Bomber Command mission #53 for 1 May 1943.
Added birth info to "Born" event per Find-a-grave MEMORIAL ID 56349392.
Combat Chronology Supplement p. 205, MACR 0820, Losses of the 8th and 9th Air Forces Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey pp. 113-4, 129, 335, First Over Germany by Russell Strong pp. 105-7 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
