Henry Robert Benefiel
Militaryimage scanned from family collection
In January, 1944, his unit arrived in a convoy at Liverpool, from which they were transferred by train to Upottery. They were stationed there from February, 1944 until D-Day. On D-Day, Henry was assigned to the second wave of gliders. They never flew during the invasion, but were retained for later. On June 15, 1944, Henry was assigned to take heavy equipment (ground) for a whole battle group across the English Channel in a Landing Ship tank (LST). They landed on Omaha Beach, after the action. [Anecdote: The first night Henry slept on a tractor, and the next morning discovered that overnight, he had lost two of his men, who had gotten Calvados liquor from a local farmer that was apparently poisonous, and they died.] The 94th TC was subsequently assigned to base at Chateau Dun, Normandy, where they remained during July and August of 1944, and Henry was made a second lieutenant via field commission while there. He subsequently saw action in Operation Dragoon, Operation Market Garden and Operation Varsity, and was awarded the Air Medal and Bronze Star for his actions in Normandy and Germany, respectively.
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
- Type Category: Troop Carrier
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Ninth Air Force
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Known as: Smeatharpe
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