Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

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Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by georgetanksherman » Tue Apr 17, 2018 5:39 pm

Looking for further info on Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, Died October 25, 1942. Royal Canadian Air Force, J/10157, from Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A., crew member on Bristol Beaufort, Ser# (Not Known), Royal Air Force No. 217 Squadron. The Aircraft was lost out of Malta, he is mentioned on the Malta Memorial, some sources have said the aircraft was enroute to Egypt, but the cause of the loss has not been established. does anyone have any further info on the individual, on aircraft ser# or the cause of the crash if known. Thanks for any help on this !

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by BFBSM » Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:35 pm

From the CWGC website, https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casu ... d-alanson/:
Flying Officer
BENDWIG, RICHARD ALANSON
Service Number J/10157
Died 25/10/1942
Royal Canadian Air Force
More information: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembran ... il/1081445
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15267867

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by BFBSM » Tue Apr 17, 2018 7:46 pm

Further casualties on the same date commemorated on the Malta Memorial are:
Sergeant George Aubrey BUSHNELL (1357687) 1942-10-25 Malta Malta Memorial
Flying Officer Millard Meyer LIEBECK (J/9774) 1942-10-25 Malta Malta Memorial
Pilot Officer Nigel Manfred PARK (412727) 1942-10-25 126 Sqdn Malta Malta Memorial
Flying Officer Fred Edward WICKSTROM (J/9642) 1942-10-25 Malta Malta Memorial
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/war ... 1942-10-25
Having searched for Milliard Meyer Libeck I found the following link, which will be of interest: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembran ... il/1532632
Also: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/air ... t4234.html for an image of Libeck.

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by georgetanksherman » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:03 am

Thank You BFBSM, it's always good to at least try to find out what happened, and have the info on the rest of the crew, I see the crew size for the Bristol Beaufort is normally 4, so I guess one of the crew were "Extra", Thanks for the info, May they always be Remembered !

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by BFBSM » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:46 am

I haven't looked at Nigel Manfred PARK (412727), as he was in 126 Squadron, he may not have been a part of the crew of the Beaufort in question.

He is a New Zealander:
http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memor ... ord/C30576
https://www.geni.com/people/Pilot-Offic ... 1809652703
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1532978/

According to 'The Squadrons of the Royal Air Force and Commonwealth, 1918 - 1988' by James Ja Halley (An Air-Britain Publication, 1988) in October 1942, 126 Squadron were flying Spitfire Mk VC.

So safe to assume he was probably not a passenger of the Beaufort in question.

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by BFBSM » Wed Apr 18, 2018 12:53 am

Nigel Manfred PARK's Distinguished Flying Medal was not gazetted until 3 April 1945, notice is available here: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/iss ... 4/data.htm

Mark

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by BFBSM » Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:17 am

I have just noticed that Park has a connection with Canada, at the bottom of the link http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memor ... ord/C30576, is the note:
This record is a work in progress and was partially compiled from the “Database of New Zealand Airmen who took part in Advanced Air Training in Canada during WW2”.

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by georgetanksherman » Wed Apr 18, 2018 11:21 am

Thanks Again BFBSM, that is one thing that I have noticed when I started doing the research, it splinters off into other Great and Awesome Warrior stories, I only hope that these young lads and lasses can be Remembered for what they sacrificed !

George

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Re: F/O R.A. Bendwig, U.S.A. Update

Post by georgetanksherman » Sat Oct 05, 2019 3:24 pm

Just wanted to update my findings on the above Warrior.

Bristol Beaufort, DW834, October 25, 1942

Aircraft took off from an airfield on Malta on an Anti-Shipping mission in the Mediterranean Sea. Aircraft was attacking a cargo ship 18 miles Northwest of Tobruk, Libya. Aircraft was shot down into the sea by flak, crashing near the ship they were attacking, aircraft and crew were lost without a trace.

Crew:
Pilot: F/O R.A. Bendwig, J/10157, RCAF, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Obs/Nav: F/O M.M. Liebeck, J/9774, RCAF, Chesley, Ontario, Canada
Wop/Gnr: F/O F.E. Wickstrom, J/9642, RCAF, Erickson, Manitoba, Canada

Trying to find out if Sgt G.A. Bushnell, 1357687, RAFVR, Wandsworth, London, England, was the forth crew member.

I also had the wrong squadron, Aircraft and Crew were with R.A.F. No. 47 Squadron

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Re: Flying Officer Richard Alanson Bendwig, U.S.A.

Post by Peter Habicht » Sat Nov 05, 2022 1:22 pm

Hello,

I'm a new guy. My father-in-law was a German fighter pilot stationed in the Mediterranean in October 1942. I am looking for the descendants of

Fg Off Richard Bendwig
Fg Off Millard M Liebeck
Fg Off Fred E Wickstrom
Sgt George A Bushnell

I have something to tell them. Can anyone help me with a hint?

Kind regards

Wolf

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