Missing information?

Do you have any additional information you would like to share about a soldier?

Submit

Personal info

Full name
HANSEL, Ralph Vincent
Date of birth
13 April 1912
Age
31
Place of birth
Mount Vernon, Rockcastle County, Kentucky
Hometown
Kenton County, Kentucky

Military service

Service number
0-1699499
Rank
Major
Function
Co-Pilot
Unit
568th Bombardment Squadron,
390th Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
11 December 1943
Place of death
North Sea, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
D 16 20

Immediate family

Members
Emmet Hansel (father)
Margaret (Stark) Hansel (mother)
Kathleen M. Stark (sister)
Virginia M. Hansel (sister)
Lillian Hansel (sister)
Mary G. (Pingle) Hansel (wife)

Plane data

Serial number
42-31122
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Six Nights in Telergma (Arabian Nights)
Destination: Emden, Germany
MACR: 1583

More information

The a/c was shot down by a Bf 110G-2 of ZG 26 with a rocket over the North Sea, Germany.

Andrew Anzanos, 390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer:
"I was on that mission on Dec. 11, 1943 and had a close-up view as the a/c with wing on fire went by us and the copilot was climbing out on the wing through the copilots window!! It turned out that it was Major Hansel the Command Pilot who did not survive. It looked like he was trying to reach back in for his chest chute when he lost his grip. They were the lead ship. The a/c kept drifting back and blew up out of my sight. I had never heard of before or since of an escape through the side pilot's windows."

Source of information: Peter Schouteten, www.390th.org, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.ancestry.com - Burress Family Tree / Andrew Anzanos (390th BG, 570th Sqd, Top Turret/Flight Engineer)

Photo source: Jac Engels, www.ancestry.com - Burress Family Tree