Honoring Service: Fallen Veteran Paul A. Mansell, World War II

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Paul A. Mansell was born in Massachusettsin 1918. Prior to moving to Rye, the family lived in the Peekskill / Cold Spring area. In Rye, Paul lived with his father David, an automobile inspector and his mother Mildredat 4 Ridgeland Manor. They were members of the Presbyterian Church. With three years of college, on November 15, 1940 he enlisted in the Air Corps having motor vehicle and mechanical skills. Paul served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Date of Birth: 8 June 1918
Died On: 3 March 1945
Street Address: 4 Ridgeland Manor
Branch of Service: U.S. Army Air Corps

Paul A. Mansell was a First Lieutenant, 8th Airforce assigned to The Air Transport Command. The Air Transport Command ATC mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport.

Flying primarily Douglas C-47 airplanes ATC also operated a worldwide air transportation system for military personnel.

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain is a military transport aircraft that was developed and used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line service with various military operators through the 1950s. The Air Transport Command ATC in Europe initially flew transport operations from the United Kingdom to Spain and Portugal, later on also to French Morocco. Clandestine transport operations were also made into Occupied Europe and to Scandinavia in 1943. Routes were established into France in 1944 and throughout Occupied Germany, Italy and to the Balkans and Greece in 1945.

First Lieut. Paul A. Mansell, was among the sixteen victims of an Army transport plane crash in France. The plane was flying from England to Paris at the time of the accident. Lieut. Mansell died on March 3 from his injuries, he was twenty-six years old and had been in the service since the Fall of 1940. Overseas nearly three years, Lieut. Mansell was a meteorologist in which he had achieved marked perfection. He was praised by military authorities for clearing a large number of aircraft safely. He was stationed in England most of the time and at the time of the accident was serving with the Air Transport Command.

First Lieutenant Paul A. Mansell plane went down on 3/3/1945 near Paris France while on a mission with The Air Transport Command. He is buried in Greenwood Union Cemetery Rye, NY.