Henry Roberts Bessent Sergeant R/198740 405 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force April 17, 1925 Winsor, Ontario November 11, 1942 Edmonton, Alberta Grand Prairie, Alberta 17 5 feet, 2 inches Ruddy Blue Light Brown Single Student United Herbert Gordon Bessent (Father) December 17, 1943 18 Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, UK Grave 14558A

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Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Henry Roberts Bessent was the son Herbert Gordon and Elsie May (Roberts) Bessent, of Grande Prairie, Alberta and the twin brother of William Francis Bessent. William also served in RCAF during WWII, enlisting on the same day as Henry. Henry’s hobby was model building and he enjoyed hockey, softball, swimming, basketball, handball, baseball, and ping pong. Prior to his enlistment Henry served with the 2nd Edmonton Regiment (Reserves) as a Private between March and October of 1942. Henry completed RCAF training in Canada and obtained his Air Gunner Badge on July 23, 1943. He embarked Halifax on August 26, 1943 and disembarked in the United Kingdom on September 1, 1943. In England he was assigned to No. 22 OTU (Operational Training Unit) on September 14, 1943 and then to 405 RCAF Squadron at RAF Gransden Lodge on November 1, 1943. Sergeant Bessent was the Air Gunner on Lancaster AC ‘R’ JB481 which crashed north of Swaffham, Norfork near Marham airfield, on December 17, 1943 when returning from Air Operations over Berlin, Germany on the night of December 16/17, 1943. On their return to England there was very poor weather across almost all airfields. Five of the seven crew were killed in the crash and two seriously injured.