Charles Hess was born on either 22nd or 23rd October 1922 in Philadelphia, USA to George and Carolina Hess. When he was young the family moved to a farm at New London, Pennsylvania. He left school in 1940 and attempted to enlist into the Army Air Corps but was unsuccessful so he began studying at Lincoln University. In 1942, he re-enlisted into the Army Air Corps and was accepted this time. After training in the USA, he was qualified as a pilot in April 1943 and also received a commission. He was then posted to the UK and served as a B-17 pilot with 613th Bomber Squadron, 401st Bomber Group, USAAF.

Charles completed 25 bombing missions with the 401st Bomb Group between 26 November 1943 and 12 June 1944. He returned to the US and visited his family in Russellville, Pennsylvania. He then went back to England and was assigned to the experimental 1st Scouting Force, based at Honington. On his first checkout flight from there on 24 October 1944, piloting Mustang P-51B 43-6768 with the 555th Fighter Training Squadron of the 496th Fighter Training Group, the engine started smoking and lost power right after take-off. Trying to regain control, turn around and land, he lost too much altitude and, bailing out too low, his parachute didn't fully deploy. Charles died in the crash of his plane two miles south of Hedon. CPT Hess is now buried in the Cambridge American Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.americanairmuseum.com, www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk, www.abmc.gov