Hartell, Harold K., 1921-2014
Dates
- Existence: 1921 September 5 - 2014 September 18 - 2014-09-18
Biographical Note: Harold K. Hartell
Harold K. Hartell was First Lieutenant in the United States Air Corps 490th as a bombardier.
Harold Kline Hartell was born to Victor and Edith Hartell on September 5, 1921 in Kansas City, Kansas. After high school he attended flight school and then trained as a bombardier with the United States Air Force where he flew B-24s. Once Hartell completed his training, he joined the United States Air Corps and served in World War II from 1944-1945. He was stationed in England where he flew B-17s as both a bombardier and navigator. During a training mission he and other crew members had a mid-air collision over Bury St. Edmunds, England. All the crew members of both planes died, except for Hartell and two instructors. In total, Hartell survived three plane crashes while in the Air Corps.
After the war, he and his wife Charlene B. Hartell moved to Espanola, New Mexico, where they began their family. Hartell passed away on September 18, 2014 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Harold K. and Charlene B. Hartell World War II Collection
The Harold K. and Charlene B. Hartell World War II Collection documents the personal careers of the Hartells during the war, primarily from 1942 to 1945. The collection documents Harold’s training and service as a bombardier in the United States Air Corps and Charlene’s training and work for North American Aviation building B-25 bombers.
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