Louis Mason Benepe III

Military
media-45866.jpeg UPL 45866 1st Lt Louis Mason Benepe III, 303BG

USAAF Photo

Object Number - UPL 45866 - 1st Lt Louis Mason Benepe III, 303BG

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

Official emblem of the 303rd Bomb Group approved 7 November 1942.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • 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
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 358th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 11095636
  • Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
  • Role/Job: Waist Gunner
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • 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
A bomber crew of the 303rd Bomb Group with their B-17 Flying Fortress nicknamed "Hell's Angels". Passed for publication 18 Jul 1943. Printed caption on reverse: 'Crew Of "Hell's Angels". Photo Shows:- The crew of the Flying Fortress bomber "Hell's Angels" - left to right (standing) Lieut. Joy, co-pilot of former crew and now temporary pilot of new crew; Lieut. W.J. Monahan, of Dorchester, Mass, new pilot; Lieut. Martin L. Clark, co-pilot, of Dallas, Texas; Lieut. William P. Maher of Manchester, N.H., navi
  • 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

Places

  • Site type: Prisoner of war camp
  • Known as: Dulag Luft Grosstychow Dulag 12
  • 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

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

Key Image ID

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added POW camp info to the POW event from WW2 POW records at the National Archives (NARA).

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Changed the suffix from "3RD" to "III".

Date
Contributormbenepe12
Changes
Sources

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.

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 470 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 470

Louis Mason Benepe: Gallery (4 items)