Horace Campbell Barksdale was born on June 28, 1914, in Tennessee. He was the son of Arthur Lee Barksdale. He was a graduate of Peabody High School in Trenton. He served in the 760th Bomber Squadron, 460th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Turret Tail Gunner of B-24 #42-51160 during World War II.

On June 30, 1944, the aircraft based at Spinazzola Airfield near Foggia, Italy, was shot down during a bombing mission to the South Synthetic Oil Refinery at Blechhammer, Germany. While flying near Lake Balaton, Hungary, the bomber formation encountered heavy enemy fighter opposition and poor weather conditions over the Balaton region, which forced the formation to alter its course and left it vulnerable to attack. During the engagement, the aircraft was hit by gunfire from a German Messerschmitt Me 410A of ZG 76/2. Hungarian fighter activity in the area was also reported during the battle. The Liberator crashed near Szigliget at approximately 10:50 AM. Five of the ten crew members were killed in the crash, while the remaining five successfully bailed out, were captured as prisoners of war, and were later released in 1945.

SSgt Barksdale was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Oakland Cemetery, Trenton, Gibson County, Tennessee, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, airbase.blog.hu, www.15thaf.org