|
|
Post by chinapilot on Dec 2, 2010 23:09:27 GMT 12
Found this in a 73 Squadron history...  |
|
|
|
Post by Andy Wright on Dec 4, 2010 20:53:10 GMT 12
Nice find, CP. Haven't come across Bennett before.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2010 22:29:35 GMT 12
Yes, very interesting. he was Mentioned In Despatches, flew in the Desert Air Force with No. 73 Squadron, and also flew ops over Italy - strafing and some night intruder ops. He flew Hurricanes and Spitfires with that squadron. I wonder if he was actually flying ops above his brother Charles Bennett in the desert at any time. Charles was wounded at Takrouna in 1943 when he set off a trip wire mine and spent three years in hospital.
Then from Feb-Aug 1944 he flew Spitfires with No. 287 Squadron in the UK. He must have been A Fight Commander of No. 485 (NZ) Squadron right at the end of the war, was he?
|
|
|
|
Post by errolmartyn on Dec 4, 2010 23:03:07 GMT 12
From Colin Hanson’s 'By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999':
BENNETT, Flight Lieutenant Edward Te Keu, mid.
NZ411359; Born Hastings, 6 Mar 1920; RNZAF 1 Mar 1941 to 21 Jun 1946; Pilot.
Citation Mention in Despatches (1 Jan 1946): For distinguished service. Served with distinction with 73 Sqn RAF (Hurricane and Spitfire) as part of the Desert Air Force in North Africa and in ground strafing attacks over Italy carrying out 98 sorties, including time as a night fighter and on night intruder operations. Flew with 287 Sqn (Spitfire) from Feb to Aug 1944 before completing a further 27 sorties with 485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire). Crashed on landing at Base on return from an armed reconnaissance patrol in the Wassell area of Germany, 16 Feb 1945, suffering facial injuries. Brother of Lt Col Sir Charles Bennett KBE, DSO. Died Rotorua, 14 Mar 1984.
Errol
|
|
|
|
Post by chinapilot on Dec 5, 2010 8:46:29 GMT 12
It's great to find little snippets about these mostly forgotten guys now..
Thanks for filling in the details Errol.
I had a Science teacher called Bennett - Bill, I think and I wonder if he was a relation. Pretty sure he was a WWII vet [with hindsight suffering from which would obviously be diagnosed as post traumatic stress now]
|
|
