Benjamin, who resided 511 Fallon Avenue, Woodcrest, New Castle County Delaware, served as a Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-24J #44-40479 "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He enlisted in the Army on October 27, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Decorator and also as being Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
Benjamin was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He had served in the Air Force for one year and eight months at the time of his death.
Benjamin was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in France and was later repatriated here on March 28, 1950.
Service # 12133323
Son of Benjamin Joseph Russell, Sr. and Gertrude Cecilia Bonk Russell.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He enlisted in the Army on October 27, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Decorator and also as being Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
Benjamin was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He had served in the Air Force for one year and eight months at the time of his death.
Benjamin was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in France and was later repatriated here on March 28, 1950.
Service # 12133323
Son of Benjamin Joseph Russell, Sr. and Gertrude Cecilia Bonk Russell.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Benjamin, who resided 511 Fallon Avenue, Woodcrest, New Castle County Delaware, served as a Sergeant and Radio Operator on B-24J #44-40479 "Hogan's Hellcats", 758th Bomber Squadron, 459th Bomber Group, Heavy, Fifteenth Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He enlisted in the Army on October 27, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Decorator and also as being Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
Benjamin was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He had served in the Air Force for one year and eight months at the time of his death.
Benjamin was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in France and was later repatriated here on March 28, 1950.
Service # 12133323
Son of Benjamin Joseph Russell, Sr. and Gertrude Cecilia Bonk Russell.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He enlisted in the Army on October 27, 1942 in Camden, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Decorator and also as being Single, without dependents.
B-24J #44-40479 took off from Giuilia, Italy on a bombing mission over Munich, Germany. During "bombs away" they were hit by German ground anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Ottendichl, Germany during the war. 9 out of the 10 crew members were killed on this flight, only one survived.
Benjamin was "Killed In Action" in this crash.
He had served in the Air Force for one year and eight months at the time of his death.
Benjamin was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was originally interred in France and was later repatriated here on March 28, 1950.
Service # 12133323
Son of Benjamin Joseph Russell, Sr. and Gertrude Cecilia Bonk Russell.
The reason he is named on a group headstone is because when soldier's were killed in close proximity to each other they were unable, at that time, to identify them separately and interred their remains together in one grave.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24J #44-40479:
Anderson, Robert L ~ Sgt, Gunner, SC
Baker, John D ~ Sgt, Gunner, MO
Beam, Lydon H, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OH
Beggs, Robert B ~ Sgt, Gunner, WI
Draper, Clinton M ~ Sgt, Gunner, UT
Jensen, William S ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, MO
Knott, Arthur H ~ FO, Bombardier, NY
Michaels, Walter H ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, PA
Russell, Benjamin J, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio-Op, DE
The only survivor of this flight was:
Brosky, Leonard, 2nd Lt, Navigator, PA, POW
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Leonard's hand-written note about the crash reads as follows:
"We dropped bombs and I think about 5 seconds later we went into a spin. I saw the Pilot, Co-Pilot, and Engineer try too leave their seats. I was navigating from the flight deck and using the Radio Operator's table. After my chute opened I looked for other chutes but did not see them. I heard from a gunner in a ship in front of us and the same Sqdn that it blew up in the vicinity of Munich. I don't even remember how my chute opened.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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