CREW MEMBER PROFILE

Surname:

BENSON

First Name/s:

D "Bennie"

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Service No/s:

Service:

Branch:

Air Gunner

Awards:

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SERVICE RECORDS

Date

Event

Aircraft Flown

25 Nov 1943

Joined 576 Sqn at Elsham Wolds, Linconshire

Auto loaded with upgrade to v1.0.07

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

Date

Aircraft

Code

Flight Details

T/O

Land

Flt Time

Crew

29 Mar 1945

LM294

UL-P2

Training

1115

nk

5h45

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Cross country, high level bombing

30 Mar 1945

ME801

UL-N2

Training

1040

nk

1h40

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp   R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Fighter affiliation

10 Apr 1945

RA587

UL-U

PLAUEN

1805

0310

9h05

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Marshalling Yards Load: All aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 10x 500lb bombs.

13 Apr 1945

PB753

UL-X

Training

1350

nk

3h30

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Low level cross country, high level bombing

14 Apr 1945

NN806

UL-M

CUXHAVEN

1930

0100

5h30

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Harbour. Flown as a diversion to the main raid on Potsdam Load: B, C, G, N, X, K2: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 16x 500lb bombs. All other aircraft: 1x 4000lb ‘Cookie’ and 16x 500lb bombs.

18 Apr 1945

RA587

UL-U

HELIGOLAND

1010

1450

4h40

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Naval base, submarine repair yards, airfield & built-up area. Load: 12x 1000lb, 4x 500lb bombs

20 Apr 1945

NN806

UL-M

Training

nk

nk

0h25

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Sack dropping. Practice for Operation Manna

22 Apr 1945

RA587

UL-U

BREMEN

1520

2050

5h30

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Focke-Wulf aircraft factory and enemy troop concentrations. Flown in support of the British XXX Corps attacking the city. Load: 1x 4000lb, 6x 1000lb, 8x 500lb bombs Master Bomber abandoned attack due to cloud cover over target and instructed crews to bring bombs back. The less experienced crews jettisoned their bombload.

24 Apr 1945

RA587

UL-U

Training

1405

nk

2h45

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Low level cross country. Map reading.

29 Apr 1945

ME801

UL-N

VALKENBURG-LEIDEN AIRFIELD

1150

1450

3h00

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population) Load: All aircraft: 4 blocks

30 Apr 1945

RA587

UL-U

THE HAGUE - DELFT AIRFIELD

1500

1820

3h20

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population). Load: G, K, Q, U, D2, K2: 3 blocks. All other aircraft: 4 blocks

01 May 1945

ME801

UL-N

ROTTERDAM

1535

1820

2h45

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population). Load: All aircraft: 4 blocks

02 May 1945

RA587

Ul-L

ROTTERDAM

1300

1545

2h45

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population). Load: All aircraft: 4 blocks

03 May 1945

RA514

UL-R

VALKENBURG / LEIDEN AIRFIELD

1025

1325

3h00

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population). Load: All aircraft: 4 blocks

07 May 1945

RA587

UL-U

ROTTERDAM

1210

1550

3h40

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation MANNA (emergency food supplies to the starving Dutch population). Load: All aircraft: 4 blocks.

15 May 1945

ME801

UL-N

Training

1445

nk

2h40

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

'Y' Cross country

16 May 1945

RA587

UL-L

FISKERTON – BRUSSELS B58

0725

nk

nk

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   
NAV  Flt Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

FISKERTON – BRUSSELS B58 Operation EXODUS (repatriating POWs) *On EXODUS flights, the crews carried only one gunner, the crews carried only one Air Gunner who occupied the mid-upper turret. 21 aircraft were scheduled for this operation, but 10 were cancelled before briefing. Carried ground servicing staff & equipment. Passengers: Flt Lts Nesbitt, Richardson; Sgt Bale; Cpls Lampard, Nicholson, Clark,; LACs Frost, Lowry, Kennington, Roberts

16 May 1945

RA587

UL-L

BRUSSELS B58 – FISKERTON

1300

1425

1h25

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   
NAV  Flt Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation EXODUS (repatriating POWs) *On EXODUS flights, the crews carried only one gunner, the crews carried only one Air Gunner who occupied the mid-upper turret. 21 aircraft were scheduled for this operation, but 10 were cancelled before briefing. Carried ground servicing staff & equipment. Passengers: Flt Lts Nesbitt, Richardson; Sgt Bale; Cpls Lampard, Nicholson, Clark; LACs Frost, Lowry, Kennington, Roberts.

18 May 1945

LM294

UL-P

Training

1325

nk

2h10

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

'Y' Cross country.

19 May 1945

LM294

UL-P

Training

1615

nk

1h30

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

High level bombing.

04 Jun 1945

PB753

UL-X

Training

1130

nk

4h45

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

'Y' Cross country.

05 Jun 1945

PA307

UL-W

Cooks Tour

1135

nk

4h20

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Operation COOKS TOUR Route 13 (5 passengers). Base-Essen-Cologne-Aachen-Antwerp-Base.

06 Jun 1945

RA563

UL-Q

Training

1545

nk

0h25

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Fighter affiliation

07 Jun 1945

NF976

UL-Z

Base - Scampton

1200

nk

0h10

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Flt Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Base - Scampton

11 Jun 1945

PB753

UL-X

Training

0100

nk

1h55

P1   Fg Off A.W. Roberts
P2   
FE   Flt Sgt L.A. Piddington
AB   Flt Sgt B.A. Rosario
NAV  Sgt J.L. Smale
WOp  Flt Sgt R. Briggs
MUG  Sgt S. Davies
RG   Sgt D. Benson

NOTES:

Night high level bombing. Take off 0100 (on 12 June 1945?).

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