Charles H. Crossley was born at Montour Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania on April 20, 1923, and grew up in the area of Danville and Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He was the fifth of seven children of Harvey Crossley (25 Apr 1887 – 27 Jul 1961), who was born at Hemlock Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania; and Meta Priscilla (Paul) Crossley (14 Nov 1886 – 2 Sep 1972), who was born in Pennsylvania. His siblings were Joel Wellington Crossley (9 Nov 1913 – 27 Feb 1976), Martha Margaret (Crossley) Sponenberg (13 Jun 1916 – 16 Mar 1995), Paul Clyde Crossley (7 Nov 1918 – 30 Nov 1975), Nevin Elmer Crossley (27 Aug 1921 – 7 Apr 1933); and twin sisters Mary (Crossley) Tanner (29 Jun 1927 – 23 Oct 2014) and Emily Amanda (Crossley) Crawford (29 Jun 1927 – 27 Oct 1992). His father was a farmer, and later a laborer for the Pennsylvania Department of Highways.

He completed four years of high school, and worked as a semiskilled chauffeur or driver. He was single, without dependents, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army at Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania on February 1, 1943. His home of record was RFD #4, Danville, Pennsylvania.

He completed Army Air Forces flight engineer and aerial gunnery training, and was assigned to the heavy bomber crew of Lt Joseph S. Van Dyke. By December 1943, the Van Dyke crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field near Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944 the Van Dyke crew was assigned to the 836th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There they completed B-24 combat crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March 1944. They flew B-24H 41-28822 from Alamogordo, New Mexico to Lavenham, England via the southern Atlantic ferry route—a journey of about 10,000 miles—and arrived at Lavenham by mid-April 1944. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137 near Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.

S/Sgt Crossley and his eight crewmates were killed in action on June 23, 1944, when their aircraft, B-24H 41-28822, was shot down near Brussels, Belgium after bombing an airfield at Juvincourt, France. The aircraft was hit by flak in the open bomb bay and exploded in the air. It fell in pieces in the meadow of Scheutbos near the intersection of Kasterlindenstraat (Rue Kasterninden) and Palokestraat (Rue Paloke).

He was buried initially at Evere Cemetery in Brussels, Belgium. After the war, his remains were reinterred at Ardennes American Cemetery, Belgium. He also has a cenotaph at Elan Memorial Park in Lime Ridge, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, where his brothers Joel and Paul are buried.

B-24H 41-28822 crew:
• Van Dyke, Joseph S – 2/Lt – Pilot – KIA
• Thies, Merle J – 2/Lt – Copilot – KIA
• Zebora, Rudolph J – 2/Lt – Navigator – KIA
• Kraus, Leslie E – S/Sgt – Radio Operator – KIA
• Glenn, James R – Sgt – Ball Turret – KIA
• Crossley, Charles H – S/Sgt – Top Turret – KIA
• Spindler, William H – Sgt – Tail Turret – KIA
• Rupe, Bradford A – Sgt – Nose Turret – KIA
• Snead, John E – T/Sgt – Engineer – KIA

Source of information: Paul M. Webber, www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov