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F. Malcolm Benitz | Page last modified: |
|
F. Malcolm Benitz | Page last modified: |
Enlistee, Oct. 1940 |
Commissioned Pilot Officer |
Flight Lieutenant, 1945 
Click ribbons for their significance. |
| Dates | Event |
|---|---|
| 1940, October 17 | Ottawa — Enlisted “for the duration” in the Royal Canadian Air Force, Volunteer Reserve - RCAF (VR). |
| 1940 - 1941 | Ontario — Trained at No.1 ITS (Initial Training School) in Toronto, Ontario, No.10 EFTS (Elementary Flying Training School) at RCAF Station Hamilton, Mount Hope, Ontario, & No.5 SFTS (Service Flying Training School) at Brantford, Ontario. |
| 1941, April 10 | Brantford, Ontario (Toronto) — Graduated as Flight Sergeant (R74280); he wanted to be a fighter pilot but was assigned to bombers. |
| 1941, April 26 | Halifax — Sailed for England on the HMS Derbyshire. |
| 1941, June-July 14 | England — Wellington OTU (22 Operational Training Unit, course #3), Wellesbourne, Warwichshire. He trained on the Vickers Wellington Mark Ic, which was identical to the Mark II that Malcolm would fly (except for its engines). |
| Wellington bombers (nicknamed “Wimpey”) were twin-engine, long-range medium bombers. The Mark II had Rolls-Royce Merlin-X engines - V-12 piston engines, recognizable by the dark row of exhausts along each side. Other marks of the Wimpey (excluding variants) had rotary piston engines (& no rows of exhausts). | |
| 1941, July 23 | England — Posted to RAF 104 Bomber Squadron, Driffield, Yorkshire. At least 4 night bombing ops. over Europe (Boulogne, Cologne, Hamburg, Stettin - railroads & ports). |
| No. 104 Squadron: It had received the Vickers Wellington Mark II in April 1941. In October 1941 fifteen of its aircraft were detached to Malta, from where they attacked targets in Libya, Sicily, and Italy. In January, 1942, the detachment moved to Egypt where it was reunited with its ground echelon. | |
| 1941, October 17 | Malta – Malcolm, as a member of the ‘Sea Party’, presumably travelled by sea when 15 aircraft were detached to Luqa (Malta). In the following months, he flew from Malta & many airfields and landing grounds (LG) in northern Egypt. |
| 1941, October 29 | Commissioned Pilot Officer (J15035). see above image of commission. |
| 1941, October 29 | Posted to 104 Squadron Overseas |
| 1942, April 7 | Malta – Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC); his citation is on the Redeployed page. |
| 1942, April 29 | Egypt & Palestine – Wounded, hospitalized in Egypt, he recuperated in Palestine on the shores of the Dead Sea. |
| 1942, October 29 | Malta – Promoted to Flying Officer (J15035), effective Oct. 1. |
| 1942, November 7? | Malta – Returned to active duty. |
| 1942, November 26 | Mediterranean — Ditched within sight of Malta; engine failure returning from night attack on German airfield at Gerbini, Sicily. |
| 1942, December 5 | Mediterranean — Rescued by an Italian hospital ship; taken prisoner (POW) to Tripoli (Libya). |
| 1942, abt. Dec 30 | Italy – Sent on an Italian submarine to Taranto (Italy); placed in transit camp P.G. 75, Torre Tresca, near Bari. |
| 1943, March | Italy – Transferred to P.G. 78, Fonte d'Amore, near Sulmona (Abruzzo). |
| 1943, summer | Italy – Helped dig escape tunnel; completed, but escape foiled by a honey wagon. |
| 1943, September 8 – | Italy capitulated. Prisoners took over POW camp. |
| 1943, September 12 | Italy – Got away; took refuge in the Grotta del Cavallone, near Taranta Peligna (Abruzzo). |
| 1943, Oct. 9 - 13 | Italy – Walked south-east 80+km. to Allied lines at Ripabottoni (Molise) |
| 1943, November 6 | England — Arrived back from Italy. |
| 1943, November 16 | England — Presented DFC at Buckingham Palace. |
| 1943, November 25 | Canada — Repatriated from UK, granted special leave. |
| 1943, December 23 | Argentina — Arrives in BA, on special leave (30 days clear). |
| 1944 | Canada — Promoted Flight Lieutenant. |
| 1944, January 22 | Canada — Y Depot (holding); Overseas posting cancelled (i.e. returned from Argentina). |
| 1944, March 16 | Canada — No.16 SFTS (Service Flying Training School), Hagersville, Ontario, presumably for retraining (he had not flown since Nov.'42). |
| 1944, May 11 | Canada — Posted to No.164 Transportation Squadron, stationed at Edmonton, Alberta; the squadron was equiped with twin engine transports: Lockheed Lodestar (C-60A) and Douglas Dakota (C-47). |
| 1945, March 31 | Canada — Y-Depot (holding) |
| 1945, April 13 | England — posted from Canada to RAF overseas, in England. |
| 1945, May 9 – | VE-Day, Victory in Europe (German surrender) |
| 1945, May 9 | England — Reported for training on Lancasters (at No. 6 Aircrew School, RAF Dalton, Yorkshire ?) |
| 1945, August 2 | Canada — Repatriated to Canada from England. |
| 1945, September 2 – | VJ-Day, Victory in the Pacific (Japanese surrender) |
| 1945, October 2 | Canada — Demobilized, 10 days short of 5 years in the RCAF, logged over1,000 hours flying in Europe, north Africa, & Canada. |
| 1945, October 10+⁄- | Argentina — Arrived on Panam (Pan American Airways), stayed at the Hotel Continental in Buenos Aires. |
© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)