Service number:

928104/143928

Nationality:

British

Promotions:
? Sergeant
April 5th, 1943: Pilot Officer on probation (emergency);
October 5th, 1943: Flying Officer on probation (War subs.);
April 5th, 1945: Flight Lieutenant (War subs.).

Jack Bennett voluntarily entered the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserves and became Flight Engineer with the rank of Sergeant in No. 35 Squadron. Here he operated with the Handley Page Halifax and from March 1944 with the Avro Lancaster.

During the night of the 25th/26th April 1942 he operated in Handley Page Halifax Mk II, W1147, TL-J. On the return flight from their target Duisburg, they were shot down over the Netherlands by Oberleutnant Kurt Loos from Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, piloting a Messerschmitt Bf 110 night-fighter.

The crew was formed by Pilot Officer John Edward Maple (Pilot), Flight Sergeant Clarence Ernest Evans (Observer), Flight Sergeant Douglas Macrae Ross (WOP / Air Gunner), Pilot Officer John Francis Day (WOP / Air Gunner), Sergeant William Arthur Allsopp (Air Gunner), Pilot Officer Haddo Eric von Bruce (Air Gunner) and Sergeant John Thomas Bennett (Flight Engineer). Only Sergeant Bennett managed to survive the crash by bailing out before the Halifax crashed.

He was, wounded, imprisoned by the Germans but managed to escape. With the help of the resistance he managed to evade via Belgium, France and Spain to Gibraltar and returned to Great Britain..

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Sergeant

Unit:

No. 35 (Madras Presidency) Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

October 20th, 1942

Citation:
"'These airmen have been engaged on operational missions against the enemy and, in most hazardous circumstances, both have displayed great courage and resolute devotion to duty in keeping with the highest traditions of the Royal Air Force."

Awarded simultaneaoulsy to Frederick Barker.

• - Supplement to The London Gazette of 20th October 1942, Issue 35750, Page 4542
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 1st June 1943, Issue 36036, Page 2511
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 8th October 1943, Issue 36201, Page 4452
  - Supplement to The London Gazette of 27th April 1945, Issue 37053, Page 2238.