Louis Mason Benepe III
MilitaryUSAAF Photo
Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 470
Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11040361
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Ball Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11095636
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Waist Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 35043171
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-734678
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Bombardier
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 11039617 and O-797343
- Highest Rank: Captain
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Augerhead
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 31 August 1943
Places
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Prisoner of war camp
- Known as: Stalag Luft III, Sagan, Germany
Events
Event | Location | Date | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Born |
St Paul, Ramsey County, MN | 1 November 1919 | Son of Louis M and Iva Jeanette [Luce] Benepe. |
Enlisted |
Minneapolis, MN | 6 April 1942 | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
Other Baled out POW |
Dieppe, France | 31 August 1943 | Failed to Return (FTR) mission to Amiens-Glisy, France in B-17 42-29635 'Augerhead' on 31-Aug-43; Flak hits slowed ship down then enemy aircraft struck. Crashed Northeast of Dieppe, France. POW MACR 470 |
Other Prisoner of war (POW) |
Zagan, Poland | 31 August 1943 | Stalag Luft 3 Sagan-Silesia Bavaria (Moved to Nuremberg-Langwasser) 49-11 |
Died |
Stagecoach Trail, Lakeland, MN | 15 February 1973 | |
Buried |
Ascension Episcopal Church, Stillwater, MN | 17 February 1973 | Internment location unknown. Service conducted at Ascension Episcopal Church, Stillwater, MN |
Based Prisoner of war |
Molesworth | 31 August 1943 | Assigned to 358BS, 303BG, 8AF USAAF. |
Revisions
https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/95184/
https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Minnesota/Louis-M-Benepe-3rd_3…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/218507273/louis-mason-benepe
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169272097/louis-mason-benepe
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/169272052/iva-jeanette-benepe
Added POW camp info to the POW event from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).
Michael Benepe; He was promoted after coming back Stateside in June of 1945. Kept his multi-engine until November 1, 1960. Remember sitting in the third seat at the age of 7 with him as pilot at Holman Field in St. Paul in June of 1959. He was invited to fly a B-17 that was with I believe the Confederate Airforce. (may have been it's predecessor) He related his captivity to me only once, and it was horrific. Many of our aircrews died in the stalags.
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 470 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 470