The newspaper article continues...........
Oxygen Failed
"In an operational flight last December he became unconcious
when the oxygen failed, was sent to a new squadron after treatment,
and made only three sorties when he was reported missing,"
so said Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Bennett, Denforth Ave, whose son,
F/Sgt Jack Norman E. Bennett, 30, is missing on 'ops' over Frankfurt.
"While in England, he met his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Nash Downes, aged 85 and 83, residents of London, who have come
through all the London blitzes," his mother said.
F/Sgt Bennett enlisted on his birthday July 20, 1942 and trained
at Lachine, Mountainview and Mont Joli where he got his wings
as rear gunner.
He went overseas last May. As an only child he was born in Calgary
and came to Toronto in 1917.
A member of Troop 35 of the Boy Scouts of St. John's Anglican
Church, Norway, he had the distinction of being a King's scout. |
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SEASIDE SORTIE (November 1943)
F/O Don Turner (JB229) and crew were returning over the North
Sea on track, with 1,000ft showing on the altimeter. The conditions
were misty, so the pilot decided to let down a little in order
to determine landfall. Just as he did the Lancaster suddenly
struck the sea and then moments later it was careering up a beach
towards sand dunes. A startled but intact crew clambered out
into waist high freezing sea water! S-Sugar had in fact come
ashore at Chapel-St-Leonards on the Lincolnshire coast 5 miles
north of Skegness. The freezing cold crew found much to their
displeasure, that the Lincolnshire seaside, whilst perhaps popular
with pre-war summertime holiday makers, was not so alluring in
the middle of November 1943. The crew spent the next few days
recovering in Scampton sick bay.
Pilot........F/O
D G Turner
F/E..........Sgt
J Finlayson
Nav........
Sgt J N Hughes
B/A.........F/O
W Pearce
WOp......Sgt
L Nightingale
MUG......Sgt
T D Horne
RG.........Sgt J N E Bennett
22/23 March, 1944; FRANKFURT:
Frankfurt again, and 49 Squadron managed to get 19 airborne.
The accurate PFF marking and bombing by over 800 aircraft ensured
that Frankfurt suffered yet another heavy blow. Diversions had
confused the Germans, who at first forecast Hannover as the target,
but a few night-fighters did manage to find the bomber stream
and 26 Lancasters and 7 Halifaxes failed to return.
Again Fiskerton had suffered losses when two crews were posted
missing; F/O Donald Turner (survivor of Chapel-St-Leonards beach
crash Nov 43) and crew (except Sgt Velasco A/G who became a PoW)
were sadly all killed.
Lancaster ND672 (EA-U)
F/O D.G. Turner Pilot (Killed)
Sgt E. Lee
F/E (Killed)
F/S S.J.
Upton NAV (Killed)
Sgt
L.H. Nightingale W/AG (Killed)
Sgt
P. Velasco A/G (P.o.W.)
F/O W.
Pearce A/B (Killed)
F/S J.N.E. Bennett RCAF A/G (Killed)
Crew on their 4th operation
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