RAF WWII Battle Of Britain Spitfire Fighter Ace S/L Ben Bennions DFC Signed
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:1630360 | Modified Item: No |
| Sub-Type: RAF WWII FIGHTER PILOT | Type: Military |
| Object: SIGNED BOOKPLATE |
You are looking at a very nice bookplate with the original autograph of the following legendary late great WWII Spitfire fighter ace:
Squadron Leader 'Ben' Bennions DFC :
Joined the RAF in 1929 as an aircraft apprentice at RAF Halton and qualified three years later as an engine fitter. He later trained as a pilot and in January 1936 joined 41 squadron RAF in Aden as a sergeant pilot flying Hawker Demon fighters. The squadron returned to the UK la...ter that year to be re-equipped with Hawker Fury's, and again in 1940 with the Spitfire. Ben Bennions received his commission in April 1940.
While stationed at RAF Hornchurch, he scored his first air victory on 28th July 1940 when he shot down a Me109. On the following day, after shooting down his second Me109, his Spitfire was damaged and he had to crash land in Kent. On 15th August 1940 while on a temporary rest break at RAF Catterick, his squadron was in action against an enemy force of 120 bombers and 21 Me110 fighters along the Yorkshire coast near Hartlepool. He shot down one Me110 and damaged another. The squadron returned to Hornchurch and on 5th September he shot down a Ju88 and probably shot down a Me109, and the following day two more Me109's. He shot down another Me109 on 9th September and further successes quickly followed bringing his score to 12 air to air victories, five probably destroyed, and five damaged. On 23rd September 1940 he is credited by one source for shooting down the famous Luftwaffe ace Hans-Joachim Marseilleover the Channel. Marseille survived, and would go on to achieve 158 air victories to rank as the most successful German ace against the Western Allies. Ben Bennions was badly wounded on 1st October 1940. That morning he had been awarded the DFC and was about to go on leave; when he was scrambled to intercept enemy aircraft . He shot down one of the raiders before a shell exploded in his cockpit, blinding him in the left eye and badly damaging his right arm and leg. He was badly burned and bleeding heavily but managed to bail out, and somehow managed to open his parachute before passing out.He was found in a field near Hatfield, and taken to hospital where quick action saved his right eye, but nothing could be done for the left. He was transferred to Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, where he was one of the first pilots in the care of Sir Archie McIndoe, the pioneer of plastic surgery for the treatment for severe burns. As one of "Archie's Guinea Pigs", he became a founder member of the Guinea Pig Club. Also, as one who had parachuted to save his life, he was eligible to join the Caterpillar Club.
Following remarkable recovery from these injuries, he later became a fighter controller and was promoted to squadron leader. In January 1943 he was mentioned in dispatches. He later served in North Africa as a senior controller and liaison officer with an American Fighter Group equipped with Spitfires. With only a limited flying category he was permitted to fly on convoy patrols; but was not allowed to take part in combat operations.In October 1943, he commanded a Ground control interception unit that was sent ashore at Ajaccio on Corsica. As he left the landing craft, an enemy glide bomb exploded, and he received shrapnel wounds. For the second time he became a patient of McIndoe at East Grinstead. For the rest of the war, he was a senior fighter controller at various units in the North of England.He passed away in January 2004.
This bookplate would look great mounted in any RAF book but especially Ben Bennions book 'Ben Bennions DFC: Battle of Britain Fighter Ace'.
The small signed bookplate is not attached / glued to larger picture of Ben Bennions.
International bidders please note any item(s) that sell for over £20 must be paid for and use international signed for postage only sorry.
