Harry L. Wensel was born in 1920 in New York. He resided in Dansville, Livingston County, New York before the war. He enlisted in the Army on December 16, 1941, in Rochester, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single without dependents.

After his basic military training, Harry volunteered for aircrew as an air-gunner. After graduating from the air gunnery school Harry trained with his fellow crew members at Alamogordo, New Mexico then on to final Combat Crew Training at Davis Monthan Airfield Tucson Arizona before flying in their allocated aircraft B24J (44-40146) 'Sugar-N-Spice' across the Atlantic via the southern route arriving at North Pickenham in April 1944.

Commencing operations on 11th May with the first of eight successful missions three of which are known to have been in “Sugar-N-Spice” the remainder were flown in a selection of aircraft as they became available. The fatal ninth mission was in B24 H (42-95160) which was on its fourth mission with the 856 BS.

A gunner on the airplane, B-24H #42-95160 took off from England on a bombing mission over Avord, France, on June 4, 1944. For an unknown reason, the plane stalled and spun out of control, and crashed at Garvestone, Norfolk, England.

SSgt Wensel is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.garveston12.org.uk