Davis, Hershel Homer
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Hershel Homer |
Surname | Davis |
Gender | M |
Age | |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 20-04-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Homer Harding Davis and Maud Adeline Davis (née Blundell), of Oregon, USA. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Hampden I |
Serial Number | AD869 |
Markings | PT-L |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Waddington (St. Michael) Churchyard |
Grave Reference | |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 27 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/81403 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 5 |
Squadron | 420 (Snowy Owl) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | United States of America |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet on Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 420 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque and Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | A memorial, in English & French, to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 (RCAF) Sqn |
Location | Former Control Tower, Tholthorpe Airfield, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those Canadians who served at RAF Tholthorpe during WW2, including 420 Sqn |
Miscellaneous Information
Hershel (usually referred to as Homer) was born on 12 February 1919 at Crook, Prineville, Oregon, USA. His father, who was deceased by the time of Hershel's enlistment, was born in Roseburg, Oregon and was a farmer and ranger and his mother was also born in Oregon. Both were American citizens. He also had a brother Edward Blundell Davis. The schools he attended were Amity Grade School, Amity, Oregon. 1923-1931, followed by Amity Union High 1931-1935. He spent one semester at Linfield College at McMinnville, Oregon. Hershel worked as a labourer at the USSR Mining Company at Nome, Alaska. 1937-1938, at American Creek Dredge, also in Nome, 1937-1938. He then worked at Superior Radio Service, Pittsburg, California as a Solicitor in 1940 until enlisting. The sports he took part in were football, baseball, swimming, tennis and boxing. He had been married (no details on his enlistment papers) but divorced in 1940. |
After enlisting on 17 December 1940 and basic training, Hershel embarked from Canada for the U.K. on 18 September 1941. He was then at 3 PRC on 28 September 1941, 14 OTU 14 October 1941 arriving at 420 Squadron on 5 April 1942. Sadly Hershel lost his life two weeks later on 20 April whilst undergoing a training flight. |
He enlisted whilst the United States was still neutral. He did not swear and oath to the King. |
Casualty Pack Number Find Out More
AIR 81/13547 (P367955/42) |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/8 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1825/7 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 19-04-1942 |
End Date | 20-04-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Waddington |
Day/Night Raid | Night (17% moon) |
Operation | Night cross-country exercise |
Reason for Loss | Crashed shortly after leaving Waddington, 3 miles NW of Horncastle, Lincs. Burst into flames upon impact. |