Leonard Russell Jansen was born on August 11, 1921, in Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island. He was the son of Leonard W. Jansen and Daisy Young Jansen. He enlisted in the service on April 5, 1943. He served in the 844th Bomb Squadron, 489th Bomb Group, Heavy, as a Sergeant and Tail Gunner during World War II.

On June 25, 1944, “Fay Day,” based at Halesworth, Suffolk, took off for a mission to Villacoublay, France, during the intense air operations following the D-Day landings. Shortly after departure, the aircraft was unable to reach the proper altitude, and the mission was aborted. As the crew attempted to return to base, the situation worsened. At approximately 18:32 hours, while approaching the area of Westhall, the aircraft turned sharply to the left during its attempted landing. It clipped willow trees near The Mill before crashing into a field along Hares Lane, behind Manor Farm Cottages. Moments after impact, the aircraft’s fuel tanks and onboard bombs exploded, destroying the bomber. Most of the crew were killed in the accident, with only two men surviving.

Sgt Jansen was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial, Coton, South Cambridgeshire District, Cambridgeshire, England.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk, weremember.abmc.gov