LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Phillip Mervyn BENISON
Service No: 11065
Born: Hamilton VIC, 2 December 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 July 1940
Unit: No. 10 Squadron, Mount Batten
Died: Air Operations: (No. 10 Squadron Sunderland aircraft W 3999), off UK Coast, 21 June 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Benison, and of Theresa Benison, of Preston, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Preston VIC
Remembered: Panel 112, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 99, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Rathmines Memorial Bowling Club, Rathmines NSW
Back in the Bay (of Biscay), Australian Sunderlands, not needed at Gibraltar, flew several anti-shipping sorties and it was noticed that enemy ships on the Bilbao-Bayonne iron-ore route were being escorted by destroyers, a welcome sign that air pressure was forcing the Germans to exert more and more effort in the defence of this trade. On 18th June two Sunderlands were sent to patrol round a threatened convoy, and Flight Lieutenant Judell did invaluable work in directing the rescue of survivors from the sloop Wild Swan, which was well ahead of the convoy and had been attacked and bombed by thirty Ju-88’s. The damage was so serious that she had to be abandoned. Unfortunately, Judell was shot down three days later, while on another air-sea rescue search for a missing Wellington. This was the first Sunderland lost by No. 10 Squadron in the air through enemy action in the twenty-nine months of its operation.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 285
The crew members of W 3999 were:
Sergeant Phillip Mervyn Benison (11065) (First Fitter)
Flying Officer Cosmo Clive Chataway (405394) (Third Pilot)
Aircraftman Class 1 Thomas Dorney (19034) (Second Fitter)
Flying Officer Bruce Napoleon Gilbert (401596) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Jacques Hazard (Free French Forces) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Maurice Leopold Judell (466) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Valentine McLean (405419) (Second Radio Operator)
Sergeant James Edward Taylor (3846) (First Radio Operator)
Aircraftman Class 1 Francis William Tipping (4089) (Armourer)
Leading Aircraftman Robert George Willis (11931) (Rigger)
Sergeant William Lawrence Winterflood (405093) (Tail Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/91/232
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Ashworth, N. (Norman) The ANZAC Squadron: A history of No. 461 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Hesperian Press Victoria Park WA 6100, 1994
Baff, K.C (Kevin), Maritime is Number Ten; the Sunderland era, K.C. Baff Netley SA, 1983
Joubert, P.B. (Sir Phillip Bennet) Birds and Fishes: the story of Coastal Command, Hutchinson and Company London, 1960
Southall, I.F. (Ivan Francis) (418900) They Shall Not Pass Unseen, Angus and Robertson Sydney NSW, 1956
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992