Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 16, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benjamin served as a Staff Sergeant & Radar Operator on SB-24D #42-73446, 868th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Rockingham County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 30, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a Machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
SB-24D #42-73446 took off from Bougainville Island (APO 706), Papua New Guinea with a crew of 10 and 1 Passenger, on a strike mission over Truk Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. After a successful mission and while on the way back to APO 706 they went missing. Their last radio transmission noted that they were on the way back to base. It is unknown if they suffered battle damage, were attacked by enemy aircraft, or had problems with SB-24D itself. Everyone on board was lost on this mission.
Benjamin was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13036239
Benjamin also has a "Cenotaph" in the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Broadway, Virginia.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on SB-24D #42-73446:
Arthur, Thomas B ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NC
Bangart, Carl E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Beaty, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MS
Cline, Joseph L ~ AerM2, Passenger, Navy, MI
Hess, Quinn A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Mallette, Ray A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
Myers, Benjamin A ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, VA
Plummer, Wayne K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MI
Ryan, Bruce E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
Scavarda, Louis ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, IL
Westberg, Roy W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benjamin served as a Staff Sergeant & Radar Operator on SB-24D #42-73446, 868th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Rockingham County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 30, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a Machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
SB-24D #42-73446 took off from Bougainville Island (APO 706), Papua New Guinea with a crew of 10 and 1 Passenger, on a strike mission over Truk Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. After a successful mission and while on the way back to APO 706 they went missing. Their last radio transmission noted that they were on the way back to base. It is unknown if they suffered battle damage, were attacked by enemy aircraft, or had problems with SB-24D itself. Everyone on board was lost on this mission.
Benjamin was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13036239
Benjamin also has a "Cenotaph" in the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Broadway, Virginia.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on SB-24D #42-73446:
Arthur, Thomas B ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NC
Bangart, Carl E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Beaty, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MS
Cline, Joseph L ~ AerM2, Passenger, Navy, MI
Hess, Quinn A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Mallette, Ray A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
Myers, Benjamin A ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, VA
Plummer, Wayne K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MI
Ryan, Bruce E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
Scavarda, Louis ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, IL
Westberg, Roy W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until February 16, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benjamin served as a Staff Sergeant & Radar Operator on SB-24D #42-73446, 868th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Rockingham County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 30, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a Machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
SB-24D #42-73446 took off from Bougainville Island (APO 706), Papua New Guinea with a crew of 10 and 1 Passenger, on a strike mission over Truk Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. After a successful mission and while on the way back to APO 706 they went missing. Their last radio transmission noted that they were on the way back to base. It is unknown if they suffered battle damage, were attacked by enemy aircraft, or had problems with SB-24D itself. Everyone on board was lost on this mission.
Benjamin was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13036239
Benjamin also has a "Cenotaph" in the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Broadway, Virginia.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on SB-24D #42-73446:
Arthur, Thomas B ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NC
Bangart, Carl E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Beaty, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MS
Cline, Joseph L ~ AerM2, Passenger, Navy, MI
Hess, Quinn A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Mallette, Ray A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
Myers, Benjamin A ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, VA
Plummer, Wayne K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MI
Ryan, Bruce E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
Scavarda, Louis ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, IL
Westberg, Roy W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Benjamin served as a Staff Sergeant & Radar Operator on SB-24D #42-73446, 868th Bomber Squadron, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Rockingham County, Virginia prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 30, 1942 in Richmond, Virginia. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed in a Machine shop and also as Single, without dependents.
SB-24D #42-73446 took off from Bougainville Island (APO 706), Papua New Guinea with a crew of 10 and 1 Passenger, on a strike mission over Truk Lagoon, Papua New Guinea. After a successful mission and while on the way back to APO 706 they went missing. Their last radio transmission noted that they were on the way back to base. It is unknown if they suffered battle damage, were attacked by enemy aircraft, or had problems with SB-24D itself. Everyone on board was lost on this mission.
Benjamin was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 13036239
Benjamin also has a "Cenotaph" in the Linville Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery, Broadway, Virginia.
( see family links below )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those who perished on SB-24D #42-73446:
Arthur, Thomas B ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, NC
Bangart, Carl E ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, OH
Beaty, Charles E ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, MS
Cline, Joseph L ~ AerM2, Passenger, Navy, MI
Hess, Quinn A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, PA
Mallette, Ray A ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, NY
Myers, Benjamin A ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, VA
Plummer, Wayne K ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, MI
Ryan, Bruce E ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, MD
Scavarda, Louis ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, IL
Westberg, Roy W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, WA
( Bio, Family Links & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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