Name:
Leon Richard Bentley
Rank:
First Lieutenant
Serial Number:
Unit:
378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group
Date of Death:
1944-06-13
State:
Oregon
Cemetery:
Golden Gate National Cemetery, California
Plot:
K
Row:
Grave:
83
Decoration:
Comments:
Leon Richard Bentley was born on January 20, 1921. He served in the 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group as a First Lieutenant during World War II. On June 13, 1944, he took off around 20:00 at Station 412 in Headcorn, England on a dive-bombing mission to Alençon/Le Mans sector. He was killed by his own bomb while attacking a rail target at low altitude. Bentley's bomb struck the top of a boxcar and bounced before exploding, catching his P-47 in the blast. He is now buried in the Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno, San Mateo County, California, USA.
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, Thunderbolts Triumphant, The 362nd Fighter Group vs Germany's Wehrmacht