Edward was a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Forces 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy.Service # 14168640.His identical twin brother,also a Staff Sergeant, Edwin J Hensley,Service # 14168683 was killed with him over the North Sea, and were declared as Missing in Action. Both were awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and are commemorated together on the Tablets of the Missing.They entered the Service from North Carolina.
It was the 17th mission of the B-24 bomber "Blood and Guts".[The plane received its name because it hit and killed hundreds of birds on a test flight when taking off!] It was part of the 8th Air Force, 453rd Bombardment Group, 733rd Bombardment Squadron. It flew at least 8 missions with 389th Bomb Group and 35 missions with 453rd Bomb Group.
It was forced to ditch in the North Sea, 9 miles North of Cromer, Norfolk after severe icing while returning from a recalled mission to Magdeburg, Germany.
It was forming on buncher 6 over the North Sea about halfway between England and Norway, and climbing and circling through 10/10ths cloud cover with de-icer boots on. Only four of the 10-man crew were recovered. The survivors were Lt. Charles M.Frank, [navigator] Lt. Harold E.Prout, Lt. Harry Stein, and T/Sgt. Harry J Fink.[ flight engineer] The ship that came to the rescue was the British minesweeper H.M.S. Dark Waters, commanded by Captain Rodney S. Pelham.
In addition to the Hensley twins,those who lost their lives included:
1st/Lt. Lawrence McFarland Duncan Pilot MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Robert A. Beltz Radio Op. MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. Thomas Lamont Patsey Gunner MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. James N. Redman Gunner
It was the 17th mission of the B-24 bomber "Blood and Guts".[The plane received its name because it hit and killed hundreds of birds on a test flight when taking off!] It was part of the 8th Air Force, 453rd Bombardment Group, 733rd Bombardment Squadron. It flew at least 8 missions with 389th Bomb Group and 35 missions with 453rd Bomb Group.
It was forced to ditch in the North Sea, 9 miles North of Cromer, Norfolk after severe icing while returning from a recalled mission to Magdeburg, Germany.
It was forming on buncher 6 over the North Sea about halfway between England and Norway, and climbing and circling through 10/10ths cloud cover with de-icer boots on. Only four of the 10-man crew were recovered. The survivors were Lt. Charles M.Frank, [navigator] Lt. Harold E.Prout, Lt. Harry Stein, and T/Sgt. Harry J Fink.[ flight engineer] The ship that came to the rescue was the British minesweeper H.M.S. Dark Waters, commanded by Captain Rodney S. Pelham.
In addition to the Hensley twins,those who lost their lives included:
1st/Lt. Lawrence McFarland Duncan Pilot MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Robert A. Beltz Radio Op. MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. Thomas Lamont Patsey Gunner MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. James N. Redman Gunner
Edward was a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Forces 733rd Bomber Squadron, 453rd Bomber Group, Heavy.Service # 14168640.His identical twin brother,also a Staff Sergeant, Edwin J Hensley,Service # 14168683 was killed with him over the North Sea, and were declared as Missing in Action. Both were awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and are commemorated together on the Tablets of the Missing.They entered the Service from North Carolina.
It was the 17th mission of the B-24 bomber "Blood and Guts".[The plane received its name because it hit and killed hundreds of birds on a test flight when taking off!] It was part of the 8th Air Force, 453rd Bombardment Group, 733rd Bombardment Squadron. It flew at least 8 missions with 389th Bomb Group and 35 missions with 453rd Bomb Group.
It was forced to ditch in the North Sea, 9 miles North of Cromer, Norfolk after severe icing while returning from a recalled mission to Magdeburg, Germany.
It was forming on buncher 6 over the North Sea about halfway between England and Norway, and climbing and circling through 10/10ths cloud cover with de-icer boots on. Only four of the 10-man crew were recovered. The survivors were Lt. Charles M.Frank, [navigator] Lt. Harold E.Prout, Lt. Harry Stein, and T/Sgt. Harry J Fink.[ flight engineer] The ship that came to the rescue was the British minesweeper H.M.S. Dark Waters, commanded by Captain Rodney S. Pelham.
In addition to the Hensley twins,those who lost their lives included:
1st/Lt. Lawrence McFarland Duncan Pilot MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Robert A. Beltz Radio Op. MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. Thomas Lamont Patsey Gunner MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. James N. Redman Gunner
It was the 17th mission of the B-24 bomber "Blood and Guts".[The plane received its name because it hit and killed hundreds of birds on a test flight when taking off!] It was part of the 8th Air Force, 453rd Bombardment Group, 733rd Bombardment Squadron. It flew at least 8 missions with 389th Bomb Group and 35 missions with 453rd Bomb Group.
It was forced to ditch in the North Sea, 9 miles North of Cromer, Norfolk after severe icing while returning from a recalled mission to Magdeburg, Germany.
It was forming on buncher 6 over the North Sea about halfway between England and Norway, and climbing and circling through 10/10ths cloud cover with de-icer boots on. Only four of the 10-man crew were recovered. The survivors were Lt. Charles M.Frank, [navigator] Lt. Harold E.Prout, Lt. Harry Stein, and T/Sgt. Harry J Fink.[ flight engineer] The ship that came to the rescue was the British minesweeper H.M.S. Dark Waters, commanded by Captain Rodney S. Pelham.
In addition to the Hensley twins,those who lost their lives included:
1st/Lt. Lawrence McFarland Duncan Pilot MIA/KIA
T/Sgt. Robert A. Beltz Radio Op. MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. Thomas Lamont Patsey Gunner MIA/KIA
S/Sgt. James N. Redman Gunner
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