Battle of Britain London Monument – Sgt. B Henson 
THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN LONDON MONUMENT 
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conflict was so much owed
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Privacy Statement The Airmen’s Stories – Sgt. B Henson
Bernard Henson was born in Burnham, Buckinghamshire on 24th March 1914. The family later moved to Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. His interest in flying was triggered by the "Cobham Flying Circus" which visited the area. Henson joined the RAFVR on 28th November 1938 and commenced flying training at Marshalls of Cambridge. Called up on 1st September 1939, he was posted to 4 ITW at Bexhill, later moving to 5 OTU Aston Down.
Posted to 32 Squadron at Biggin Hill in late June 1940 he was soon in action and claimed a Ju87 destroyed on 19th July and a Do17 on 18th August. On this day he was hit by return fire during a combat over Biggin Hill and made a forced-landing at Otford, with a slight wound to his face caused by the rear view mirror splintering under fire.
Henson was posted to 257 Squadron at Martlesham Heath on 15th September 1940. He was reported ‘Missing’ on 17th Novembe,r after being shot down by Adolf Galland in an action ten miles east of Harwich, in Hurricane N2342. The aircraft was seen to impact onto Lighthouse Sunk, a sandbar off Harwich. A search revealed no trace of Henson.
On 5th January 1941 his body was washed ashore near Dover and returned to Wisbech for burial at Mount Pleasant Cemetery there.
Additional research courtesy of the RAFA.
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