Remembering World War II

Name: Horace Mayhew Lancaster Rank: First Lieutenant Service Number: O-904763 Service: Company F, 1st Training Regiment 56th Fighter Group, US Army Air Force Date of Birth: January 5, 1906 Place of Birth: Broughton, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Date of Enlistment: April 7, 1942 Place of Enlistment: New York Address at Enlistment: New York, New York Age at Enlistment: 36 Occupation: Lawyer Marital Status: Single Next of Kin: Thomas Lancaster, father Date of Death: June 22, 1942 Age: 36 Cemetery: Kensico Cemetery, Valhalla, Westchester Co., New York Horace Mayhew Lancaster was the son of Thomas Lancaster (1863-1953) and Ruth (Jacques) Lancaster (1879-1970). Both his parents were immigrated to the United States in the 1920’s, settling in New York. In 1932, Horace applied to be a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, indicating he is a descendant Lieutenant Robert Laird (Robert (1742-1834) was a member of the Little River District Regiment of the Continental Army in South Carolina and served as a Private, First Lieutenant and Captain between 1775 and 1779). Prior to active service enlistment in the Second World War in April of 1942, Horace had previously enlisted in New York City, NY, and served with Company K of the 7th Regiment of the New York National Guard. His appointment to active service was to the United States Army Air Force. He was stationed at Mitchel Field. Mitchel Air Force Base was located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York. First Lieutenant Horace Mayhew Lancaster died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at home at 324 West 108th Street in Manhattan, New York, NY. He was assigned to Company F of the 1st Training Regiment of the 56th Fighter Group. The 56th Fighter Group was at Mitchel from January to July of 1942 and Horace died in June of 1942. He was interred at the Kensico Cemetery in the Valhalla Hamlet of the Township of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York. The Kensico Cemetery was founded in 1889, when many New York City cemeteries were becoming full, and rural cemeteries were being created near the rail-roads that served the city. The cemetery contains four Commonwealth war graves, of three Canadian Army soldiers of World War I and a repatriated American Royal Air Force airman of World War II.

Horace Mayhew Lancaster

Sources findagrave 56 Fighter Group