LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Colin George BENJAMIN
Service No: 403855
Born: Armidale NSW, 13 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 March 1941
Unit: No. 3 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Manston, Kent
Died: Air Operations (No. 3 Squadron Typhoon aircraft D589), Netherlands, 1 July 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Cyril Hastings Benjamin and Eva Eleanor Benjamin, of Gordon, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Gordon NSW
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War 2 Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
Remembered: Gordon Public School Rolls of Honor, Gordon NSW
During an operational flight on 1 July 1943 Typhoon D589 flown by Pilot Officer Benjamin was lost off the Dutch coast. At 1125 hours the aircraft which took off from Manston as one of 24 aircraft detailed to attack enemy shipping in the vicinity of the Dutch Islands. The No. 3 Squadron aircraft were accompanied by 8 Typhoons from No. 609 Squadron RAF and 6 Hurricanes from No. 184 Squadron RAF.
An enemy convoy was sighted and attacked about 6 miles east of the Hook. During the engagement some enemy aircraft were encountered. Many hits were observed on the enemy vessels, but 3 aircraft of the force including Pilot Officer Benjamin’s failed to return from the mission. One pilot was observed in the water inflating his dinghy. Post war enquiries by a Missing Research and Enquiry Unit established that Pilot Officer Benjamin had lost his life.
The other pilots lost were Flying Officer Alan Trevor Little (413862) (RNZAF) (No. 3 Squadron RAF) and Flight Sergeant James Thomas William Jones (1313438) (RAFVR).
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/211
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line