BENNETT, Charles Raymond
| Service Number: | 409886 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 November 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Invercargill, New Zealand, 27 March 1921 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 26 April 1999, aged 78 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Barrabool Hills Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 7 Nov 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 409886 | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Dec 1942: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer | |
| 23 Jun 1943: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 409886, embarked Brisbane for UK via Halifax, Canada | |
| 3 Dec 1943: | Imprisoned Held Stalag Luft 1 nr Barth; POW number 1543; 106 Squadron; liberated by the Russians | |
| 9 Nov 1945: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 409886 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Flight Lieutenant Charles Raymond Bennett (Service No:409886) enlisted in the RAAF on 7 November 1941 at No ! Recruiting Centre Melbourne as an Aircraftman II and attended No 1 Initial Training School (ITS) Somers, No 7 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), Nos 2 and 3 Embarkation Depots (ED) and 15 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). By February 1942 he was a Leading Aircraftman and by December that year a Pilot Officer. On 23 June 1942 he embarked from Brisbane en route for the UK via Halifax, Canada. Pilot Officer Bennett served in the UK at Norfolk and Oakley and on 18 November 1943 was on a bombing mission when his plane was hit by flak and crashed between Cologne and Munchen Gladback. All crew survived, and Pilot Bennet evaded capture for three days, heading for Holland, before being taken PoW. He was held at Stalag Luft 1 near Barth (PoW No:1543). He described being transported in crowded cattle trucks with little food or water, over crowded conditions, being held in solitary confinement and Red Cross parcels not being distributed (NAA). Liberated by the Russians on 14 May 1945, Flight Lieutenant Bennett was attached to 623 Squadron at Discharge on 9 November 1945. Older brother Kenneth (Flying Officer; Service No:401409) was KiA, and younger brother Mawell (Warrant Officer; Service No:409897) also served in the RAAF.
Charles was born in Invercargill, New Zealand in 1921, third of five children of Samuel Charles Bennett (b1894 in Highton, Victoria) and Frances (Fannie) Severn Jones (b1891 in Otago, New Zealand). Samuel worked as a Slaughterman in Geelong, Victoria before moving to Otaga, New Zealand in 1916. He was working as a Slaughterman in Otago in 1917 when he and Fannie married. They moved to Geelong, Victoria where Samuel worked as a Slaughterman before returning to New Zealand in late 1920. Samuel again worked as a Slaughterman in New Zealand, and by 1924 the family had returned to Geelong where Samuel worked as a Clerk, Salesman and Skin Buyer/Skin and Waste Merchant.
Charles worked in Geelong as a Clerk for Cheetman Salt Coy before enlisting in the RAAF. Following his Discharge, he was a Salesman in Geelong in 1950 when he married Shirley Margaret Herd (b1922 in Geelong, Victoria) - Shirley worked in Geelong as a Costing Clerk. Charles and Shirley lived briefly in Werribee and settled in Geelong where Charles worked as a Manager and Newsagent. Charles died in 1999 and Shirley in 2015.
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