Benjamin, Alfred David

Individual Personnel Data
Name Benjamin, Alfred David
⇗
Rank Second Lieutenant / First Lieutenant
Serial Number O-718219
Unit Assignments
  • Assigned to the 544th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #148 dated 26 July 1944, effective 26 July 1944.
  • Transferred to the Casual Pool, 70th Replacement Depot, AAF Station 594 , per 544th Bomb Squadron Morning Report dated 27 January 1945, effective 22 January 1945.
Duty Navigator
MOS1034 - Navigator
Last Duty Date 22 January 1945
Results Completed Combat Tour
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 31 March 1924
  • Bailed out over Allied Territory after a mission on 19 September 1944. Seven of the crew returned to duty. The ball turret gunner was injured by flak and transferred to the Detachment of Patients, 4178 U.S. Army Hospital Plant. The tail gunner was injured by flak and hospitalized from 19 September 1944 until 10 November 1944.
Related Documents A Poem: In The Dark Of The Night⇓ (0.244 MB)
A Play: In the Dark of the Night⇓ (0.390 MB)
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing PanelBenjamin Signing⇗
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. Carnes, Joe Ross, Jr⇗PilotTR
2nd Lt. Wyatt, William Glenn⇗Co-pilotCT
2nd Lt. Benjamin, Alfred DavidNavigatorCT
2nd Lt. Bomar, William M, Jr⇗BombardierTR
S/SGT. Schick, Frank Joseph, Jr⇗Radio Operator / GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Panici, Raymond Arnold⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerCT
SGT. King, James Bernard, Jr⇗Ball Turret GunnerWIA
SGT. Andersen, Gerald Lee⇗Tail GunnerKIA
S/SGT. Ford, Charles William, Jr⇗Flexible GunnerCT
SGT. Little, Joseph Richard Kyle⇗Flexible GunnerTR
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 31 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
174⇗ 7 August 1944 Target: Aircraft Fuel Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Dugny (Paris), France 		Navigator 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
175⇗ 8 August 1944 Target: Tactical - Enemy Strong Points
Type: Military
Location: Bretteville-sur-Laize, France 		Navigator 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section lead, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
176⇗ 9 August 1944 Target: Erding Airdrome & Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Erding, Germany 		Navigator 42‑102430⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
177⇗ 11 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Coastal Artillery Emplacements
Type: Military
Location: Brest, France 		Navigator 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section deputy, low group.
Sortie Report⇗
181⇗ 16 August 1944 Target: Delitzsch Air Field and Air Equipment Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Delitzsch, Germany 		Navigator 42‑107083⇗ Flying Spare, Returned As Briefed
High group.
Sortie Report⇗
182⇗ 18 August 1944 Target: Tactical: Bridge
Type: Transportation
Location: Vise, Belgium 		Navigator 43‑37703⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High section deputy, lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
183⇗ 24 August 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil & Chemical Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38213⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
184⇗ 25 August 1944 Target: Airfield & Airpark
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Anklam, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97204⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
187⇗ 3 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
188⇗ 5 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Returned with #1 feathered.
Sortie Report⇗
189⇗ 8 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Navigator 42‑37982⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
190⇗ 9 September 1944 Target: I. G. Farben Chemical Works
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38213⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
191⇗ 10 September 1944 Target: BMW Motor Component Parts Plant
Type: Industry
Location: Sindelfingen, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97320⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
194⇗ 13 September 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Navigator 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
195⇗ 17 September 1944 Target: Tank and Gun Concentrations, Tactical
Type: Military
Location: Eindhoven & 's‑Hertogenbosch (den Bosch), The Netherlands 		Navigator 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
F Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
196⇗ 19 September 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Hamm, Germany 		Navigator 42‑37982⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron flying spare; joined formation; aircraft struck by flak just before the IP; after dropping bombs on target, left formation, apparently under control; crew bailed out over Binche, Bel.; all crew returned to duty except ball turret gunner and tail gunner who were seriously injured.
Sortie Report⇗
212⇗ 17 October 1944 Target: Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
213⇗ 18 October 1944 Target: Ford Motor Works
Type: Industry
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 42‑102661⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
214⇗ 19 October 1944 Target: Heinrich Lanz Tank Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Navigator 42‑102459⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead Squadron hot camera ship.
Sortie Report⇗
215⇗ 25 October 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Navigator 42‑98000⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Fourth Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
217⇗ 1 November 1944 Target: Nordstern Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Navigator 43‑38062⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
218⇗ 2 November 1944 Target: Ruhr-Chemie A.G. Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Sterkrade (Holten), Germany 		Navigator 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron.
Sortie Report⇗
221⇗ 6 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Bottrop (Welheim), Germany 		Navigator 44‑6512⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
223⇗ 9 November 1944 Target: Ground Installations
Type: Military
Location: Ouvrages de Sorbey (Metz), France 		Navigator 43‑38801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
224⇗ 10 November 1944 Target: Ostheim Airfield & Butzweilerhof Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Cologne / Köln, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41C Group, Group Lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
227⇗ 20 November 1944 Target: Buer Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Gelsenkirchen, Germany 		Navigator 42‑97960⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
232⇗ 29 November 1944 Target: Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Misburg, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
233⇗ 30 November 1944 Target: Synthetic Oil Refinery
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Zeitz, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead.
Sortie Report⇗
239⇗ 12 December 1944 Target: Leuna Synthetic Oil Plant
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Merseburg, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Wing lead. PFF ship.
Sortie Report⇗
248⇗ 1 January 1945 Target: Oil Storage Depot
Type: Oil Industry
Location: Derben, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8216⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Group lead. PFF ship. Prevented from attacking the primary target by weather, led an attack on the secondary PFF target, but did not attack when PFF equipment failed. After several additional failed attempts to attack the secondary and last resort targets, finally attacked a target of opportunity (TOO).
Sortie Report⇗
255⇗ 15 January 1945 Target: Neuburg Airfield
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Neuburg an der Donau, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8007⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Returned Early
Group lead. PFF ship. Aborted 30 minutes prior to IP due to mechanical problems. Ordered low Squadron into lead before departing. Bombed a target of opportunity (TOO) during return.
Sortie Report⇗
257⇗ 20 January 1945 Target: Rail and Road Bridges
Type: Transportation
Location: Mannheim, Germany 		Navigator 44‑8401⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High Squadron lead; PFF ship. Landed away at RAF Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire.
Sortie Report⇗

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