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Joseph L Bennett

Military

  •  

Joined RCAF, assigned to 133S, transferred to 336FS 4FG 8AF USAAF, promoted 1st Lt
Engineering officer, Assigned to Headquarters, VIII Fighter Command Mar-44
Remained in the Air Force after the war, serving at bases in Arizona, Texas and New Mexico, as well as one tour in England as a maintenance officer. Retired from the USAF as a Lieutenant Colonel Nov-63
Engineer for Custom Pools Co. in Albuquerque, NM, retiring in 1980.

Service

Units served with

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • VIII Fighter Command

    VIII Fighter Command

    Command
    VIII Fighter Command was established as VIII Interceptor Command at Selfridge Field on 2 February 1942.

  • 336th Fighter Squadron

    336th Fighter Squadron

    Squadron
    The 336th Fighter Squadron was constituted by the War Department on 22 august 1942, and was activated at Bushey Hall, England, on 12 September. It had been designated as No. 133 (Eagle) Squadron, and was made up of American volunteers to the Royal Air...

  • Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (VIII Fighter Command)

    Headquarters & Headquarters Squadron (VIII Fighter Command)

    Squadron

  • No 133 'Eagle' Squadron

    No 133 'Eagle' Squadron

    Squadron
    'On 1 August 1941, No. 133 reformed at Coltishall as the third 'Eagle' Squadron manned by American personnel. Equipped with Hurricanes it became operational at the end of September. The next month the Squadron moved to Northern Ireland, returning to...

Aircraft

  • 42-7881

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 334FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. 2nd Lt Vincent R 'Bud' Castle lost in this A/C 19 June 43 - KIFA (Take-off crash). Crashed just off the base while returning from a local flight. Witnesses noted he was “flying low and climbing. He reached the top of...

  • 42-7873

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Crashed North Weald due to an engine fire on 17-Jun-43, pilot Joe L Bennett OK.

  • 41-6574 'Miss San Carlos'

    P-47 Thunderbolt
    16-8-43 Destroyed 2 x Fw190's and damaged another over Paris

Associated Place

  • Biggin Hill

    Military site : airfield
    An RAF Station with US lodger units. USAAF Spitfires and P-38s were attached to RAF No 11 Group stations in mid-1942 for training; also used for special operations by British and US forces.

  • Debden

    Military site : airfield
    RAF Debden, construction of which began in 1935, is perhaps most famous as a Battle of Britain fighter airfield, partly responsible for the defence of London in 1940. In 1942 it was also home to three RAF 'Eagle Squadrons’ of volunteer American pilots...

Events

Event Location Date
Born Boise, ID, USA 19 January 1917
Joined RCAF Canada 1940

Joined Royal Canadian Air Force. Fl/Sgt Pilot.
Lived in Boise, ID, USA 1941
Assigned Biggin Hill, London SE19 3HY, UK 1941 – 9 October 1942

Assigned to 133 [Eagle] Sqn RAF. Commissioned P/O.
Transferred Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 9 October 1942 – 29 February 1944

Transferred to 336th FS 4th FG 8AF USAAF. 2nd Lieutenant.
Promoted Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 11 March 1943

Promoted 1st Lieutenant.
Crashed 17 June 1943

Crashed into pub after engine failure P-47 42-7881. RTD.
Assigned March 1944 – 1945

Engineering officer, Assigned to Headquarters, VIII Fighter Command 3-44
Died Hobbs, NM, USA 17 November 2010
Nationality
American
Nickname
Not yet known
Service numbers
O-885256
Highest rank
Lieutenant Colonel
Role/job
Fighter pilot
Awards
  • Air Medal with 3 oak leaf clusters
  • Distinguished Flying Cross
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
  • Purple Heart
  • World War II Victory Medal

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
30 November 2018 15:13:24 general ira snapsorter Changes to events and aircraft associations
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- AccidentReports.com;
- Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol I by Bishop and Hey p. 156, ;
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia;
- http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/336_be...
Date Contributor Update
01 November 2016 14:46:54 Al_Skiff Changes to role, biography, events and aircraft associations
Sources

http://www.littlefriends.co.uk/search.php?searchString=Bennett&Submit=Se...
Date Contributor Update
07 November 2015 16:25:32 Al_Skiff Changes to biography, awards and events
Sources

EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/336_be...
Date Contributor Update
07 November 2015 16:11:46 Al_Skiff Changes to highest rank, role, biography, unit associations and place associations
Sources

EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/336_be...
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:17:23 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

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