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F/O Edward Bennett RAFVR and crew – 576 Sqn – RAF Elsham Wolds - 1944
Failed to Return – 24th September 1944 – Lancaster III – PD235 – Op Calais
Ted ( Left ) and twin brother Stan Bennett.
Edward Bennett was one of twins. His brother Stanley was also a pilot in the RAF. Bennett trained in the USA and Canada was posted to 576 Squadron for 11 Base in July 1944. Bennett and his crew flew their first operation on the 28th July 1944 to Stuttgart and completed 20 sorties before being lost on their 21st.
Left to right: Vivian Graham (Taffy) Price, mid-upper gunner; Jack Purcell Manser, rear gunner; Dave Baker, navigator;
Ted Bennett, pilot; Leonard Maiden, flight engineer; Francis Peter (Pete) Walker, Air Bomber,
and Donald William George (Don) Purse, Wireless Operator.
Tour details below :-
28/07/1944 – Stuttgart – LM122 – F/O E Bennett
30/07/1944 – Cahagnes - Army support – LM122 – F/O E Bennett
01/08/1944 - Belle Croix Les Bruyeres - V weapon – LM122 – F/O E Bennett
03/08/1944 – Trossy-St-Maximin – V weapon – PD235 – F/O Bennett
04/08/1944 – Pauillac – Oil – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
07/08/1944 – Fontenaye - Army support – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
10/08/1944 – Dugny – Oil/fuel – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
11/08/1944 – Douai - Railway yards – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – Airfield – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
16/08/1944 – Stettin – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
25/08/1944 – Russelheim – Factory – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
26/08/1944 – Kiel – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
28/08/1944 - Chapelle Notre Dame - V weapon – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
03/09/1944 – Eindhoven – Airfield – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
12/09/1944 – Frankfurt – NF976 – F/L E Bennett
15/09/1944 - Oslo, Kattegat and River Elbe - Mine laying – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
17/09/1944 – Flushing - Flak positions – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
20/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – PD235 – F/L E Bennett - Unable to bomb due to failure of bomb sight
23/09/1944 – Neuss - ME671 – F/L E Bennett
24/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – PD235 – F/L E Bennett – FTR - Crashed in target area.
Bennett's crew flew largely unchanged apart from Sgt L Maiden the Flight Engineer who was lost with F/L Bibby and crew mid August 44. He is still however shown as flying with Bennett after this date in the 576 Sqn ORB. For the last operation Sgt K D Playfoot is shown as the Flight Engineer in this crew and he managed to escape and evade capture. Some sources show this airman as F/O K G Playfoot however.
Sgt Leonard Maiden
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F/L Edward Bennett RAFVR – Pilot – 22 - 576 Sqn - Son of Sidney and Emily Bennett of Woodford Green, Essex – Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Sgt K D Playfoot RAFVR – 576 Sqn - POW Liberated 1 Oct 1944
F/O Francis Peter Walker RAFVR - Air Bomber – 26 - Son of Francis William and Jane Walke, of Irby, Cheshire, England – Calais Canadian War Cemetery Leubringhen, France.
F/O David Baker RAFVR – Navigator – 21 – 576 Sqn - Son of Alfred and Rose Baker of Stoke Newington, London - Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Sgt Donald William George Purse RAFVR – Wireless Operator (Air) – 20 – 576 Sqn - Son of William George and Nathalie Zena Purse of Colyton, Devon - Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
Sgt Vivian Graham Price RAFVR – Air Gunner - 19 – 576 Sqn - Son of Albert and Gladys Price of Blackwood, Monmouthshire - Calais Canadian War Cemetery Leubringhen, France.
F/O Jack Purcell Manser RAFVR – Air Gunner – 37 – 576 Sqn - Son of Albert Charles and May Clara Manser; husband of Shirley Veronica Manser of Hampstead, London - Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France.
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Sgt K D Playfoot RAFVR - Landed by parachute and captured on the outskirts of Calais. Released by advancing forces about 1st October 1944. Per John Jones
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24 September 44 – Calais – France – Army support – Day. - 16 aircraft detailed. 2 aircraft not bombed up in time and were cancelled. F/O Till in B2 took off late form the same reason but was able to reach the target in reasonable time. He was obliged to jettison part of his load and return to base. 10/10ths cloud over the whole route. Cloud base was 6,000ft to 7,000ft most of the way. 2000ft at the target. Weather cleared slightly on return. PFF opened the attack with red and green TIs and the Master Bomber instructed the crews to bomb the reds. Bombs were well concentrated.
Heavy light flak and some heavy flak at the target area. F/O Crowther in T2 returned on 3 engines.
F/L Bennett and crew failed to return.
( 188 aircraft attacked German troop positions at 2,000ft. Only 126 bombed. Most bombed Oboe aimed sky-markers. )
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Lancaster PB235
This machine completed 26 operations being lost on the 27th
04/08/1944 – Pauillac – Oil – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
05/08/1944 – Blaye – Oil – PD235 – F/L DJ Masters
07/08/1944 – Fontenaye - Army support – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
10/08/1944 – Dugny – Oil/fuel – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
11/08/1944 – Douai - Railway yards – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
12/08/1944 – Bordeaux - U boat base – PD235 – S/L S Slater
13/08/1944 – Falaise - Army support – PD235 – S/L S Slater
14/08/1944 – Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
15/08/1944 - Le Culot – Airfield – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
16/08/1944 – Stettin – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
18/08/1944 - Ertvelde Rieme – Oil - PD235 – F/O WA Stewart
25/08/1944 – Russelheim – Factory – PD235 – F/O E Bennett
26/08/1944 – Kiel – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
28/08/1944 - Chapelle Notre Dame - V weapon – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
29/08/1944 – Stettin – PD235 – S/L S Slater
03/09/1944 – Eindhoven – Airfield – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
05/09/1944 - Le Havre - Army support – PD235 – F/O HL Hing
06/09/1944 - Le Havre - Army support – PD235 – F/O EA Cartwright
08/09/1944 - Le Havre - Army support – PD235 – F/O EA Cartwright
10/09/1944 - Le Havre - Army support – PD235 – F/O MT Wilson
12/09/1944 – Frankfurt – PD235 – S/L S Slater
15/09/1944 - Oslo, Kattegat and River Elbe - Mine laying – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
16/09/1944 – Leeuwarden – Airfield – PD235 – F/L H Leyton-Brown
17/09/1944 – Flushing - Flak positions – PD235 – F/L E Bennett
20/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – PD235 – F/L E Bennett – Unable to bomb due to failure of bomb sight
23/09/1944 – Neuss - PD235 – S/L S Slater
24/09/1944 – Calais - Army support – PD235 – F/L E Bennett – FTR - Crashed in target area.
Compiled and written by David Fell. Photos courtesy of Donna Bott Steve Maiden and John Jones
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