Benjamin Francis KITCHENS

 

kitchens benjamin f
NUMBER OF SERVICEO 671664
AGE20 yo
DATE OF BIRTH6 February 1924 El Paso County, TEXAS
ETATTEXAS
FAMILY

Parents : William Frederick & Mary E. Rogers KITCHENS

Siblings : William Frederick 

RANKFirst Lieutenant
FONCTIONPilot
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENTActorsTX
DATE of ENLISTEMENT24 March 1942 Lubbock TEXAS
 SQUADRON508th Fighter Squadron
 GROUP404th Fighter Group
ARMY9th US Air Force
DATE OF DEATH24 june 1944kitchens benjamin f tombe
STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHPériers, MANCHE
CAUSE OF DEATHCollision in flight with the P-47 " Thunderbolt " of Lt d'Espy
DATA PLAN

P-47 Thunderbolt - type D-22-RE - s/n 42-25872 7J*B

p 51 mustang

Macr: 6352

Mission: Support de troupes au sol

Sector d'Avranches/Coutances (50) 

Take-off Station 414 Winkton, Hampshire

Explosion at medium altitude at 1:45 pm

 
CEMETERYBRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James

Map of St James American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
D152
DECORATION

Air Medal & Oak Leaf Cluster

 

Purple Heart

 

Good Conduct Medal

 

European African Middle Eastern Campaing Medal

 

American Campaign Medal

 

World War II Victory Medal

 

USSAF Pilot Wings

 

Certificat Pilot

am olc

Photo FDLM

Good Medal Conduite

EAMECampaign

american campaign medal

victory medal

aile pilote

Pilote Certificat

usaf 9af 404fighter group 508fighter squadron
STORY
kitchens benjamin f--

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Ben Kitchens, his older brother Bill and father Fred seen in 1935.
(Photo courtesy of Ann Dolce)

kitchens benjamin f3

Upon joining in 1942, Benjamin joined the Air Corps and Cadet School at Brooks Field and then became an officer. It comes out First Lieutenant with a magnificent file demonstrating qualities of aggressive, reliable worker, obtaining a total confidence of his superiors.

He completed his training at Air Base in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then left New York and arrived in England on April 5, 1944 in Liverpool. Benjamin and the staff are transported by train to the AAF 414 station based in Wikton. After training in the United States on Douglas A-24 and Bell P-39 Airacobra, we moved to the Squadron of the P-47 Thunderbolt.

As of May 1, the entire group is operational for training on aircraft handling: dive bombings, group training, flight in the clouds and training in geography, aircraft recognition, escape methods, map readings, etc. Twenty two missions will be recorded for this first month without loss, only minor damage to the devices. All the pilots, including Benjamin, successfully completed their first flights.

On May 13, during a return from a mission which could not be completed due to the weather, the formation arrived in Rouen and was attacked by six enemy aircraft. Benjamin plunges a Messerschmitt BF-109 into one of them and shoots it down, Benjamin’s first victory and the only enemy plane shot down by the Squadron this month.

The first mission in June took place on the 2nd: a bombardment in the Amiens region.

And the big day arrives, June 6: the main role of the Squadron that day is to fly over the beaches in order to protect the landing craft. The day is marked by 4 missions, only one of these missions sees the appearance of enemy hunters who are put to flight after an attempt to dive on the beaches.

The following days will be of intense activity and intensity with the progression of the armed forces in the Battle of Normandy, the missions of attacks, bombardments and protection punctuate busy days, the results of the Squadron are excellent.

On June 24, after a first reconnaissance mission on Granville-Villedieu-Avranches where they carry out a bombardment in La Haye du Puits on a position of cannons then a machine-gunning of trucks and wagons on Périers, Ben and his formation return to this area for a second mission. It’s bombing wagons near Coutances.

After the success of this one, Ben and the First Lieutenant Bert Espy Jr ask their leader to leave the formation after having spotted enemy vehicles on a road near Périers. The strafing (strafing on the ground) carried out, the two P-47s try to join their Flight but during this attempt the propeller of the aircraft of Lt Espy touches and cuts the rear of Ben's P-47; the accident resulted in the two planes diving and crashing, there was no survivor.

The first mission in June took place on the 2nd: a bombardment in the Amiens region.

And the big day arrives, June 6: the main role of the Squadron that day is to fly over the beaches in order to protect the landing craft. The day is marked by 4 missions, only one of these missions sees the appearance of enemy hunters who are put to flight after an attempt to dive on the beaches.

The following days will be of intense activity and intensity with the progression of the armed forces in the Battle of Normandy, the missions of attacks, bombardments and protection punctuate busy days, the results of the Squadron are excellent.

On June 24, after a first reconnaissance mission on Granville-Villedieu-Avranches where they carry out a bombardment in La Haye du Puits on a position of cannons then a machine-gunning of trucks and wagons on Périers, Ben and his formation return to this area for a second mission. It’s bombing wagons near Coutances.

After the success of this one, Ben and the First Lieutenant Bert Espy Jr ask their leader to leave the formation after having spotted enemy vehicles on a road near Périers. The strafing carried out, the two P-47s try to join their Flight but during this attempt the propeller of the aircraft of Lt Espy touches and cuts the rear of Ben's P-47; the accident resulted in the two planes diving and crashing, there was no survivor.

The bodies of the two USAAF officers are buried by local residents, one at Bethelin, the second at La Bouvière.

Almost twenty years later, excavations were undertaken by the Levaufre family, in particular, on the crash site of Lieutenant Espy's P-47, the plane was found and the engine restored.

On June 24, 2017, 73 years to the day after the crash was inaugurated a memorial in memory of these two heroes in Périers in the presence of Ben's niece. The engine found is at the top of this monument.

On the panel retracing the drama, is written: "Not everyone died as a hero, but all died for our freedom."

For eternity, the memories of these two officers are forever sealed.

   

 kitchens benjamin f lettre

Letter from Lt. General Barney M. Giles confirming Benjamin's death on June 24, 1944. Note the letter is dated March 16, 1945.

Mail received by the family 

kitchens benjamin f lettre1 

Letter from Major General J. A. Ulio received by the next of kin confirming that Benjamin was missing in action.

 kitchens benjamin f telegramme Telegram received by the family
   
 kitchens benjamin f air medalMedal received by Benjamin F KITCHENS kitchens benjamin f purple heart 

MEMORIAL

kitchens benjamin f memorial

Périers

Stele in tribute to First Lieutenant

kitchens benjamin f stele1

kitchens benjamin f stele3

A memorial plaque honouring the 404th Fighter Group (506, 507 and 508 Squadrons) at the New Forest Airfields Memorial in New Forest National Park, Hampshire, England.

The plaque is dedicated to American pilots who served at Winkton and to those Americans who left the airfield never to return

 

Aérodrome US A-5

La Petonnerie , Cartigny-l'Épinay , CALVADOS

 

404 Fighter Group
US Air Force
 506 507 508 Fighter Squadron
1944-1985

 
Normandy
May-August 1944


1st Lieutenant Martin E. ADAMS
Staff Sergeant Edward J.  BOTTE
1st Lieutenant Max W.  CONN
1st Lieutenant Bert  ESPY Jr
1st Lieutenant Russell S. FREDENDALL
1st Lieutenant Robert W. GREEN
2nd Lieutenant Edgar E. GROVE
PFC Joseph L. HICKMAN
CPL Robert M. HOPKINS
1st Lieutenant Robert W. HUSE
1st Lieutenant Joseph C. JOYCE
1st Lieutenant Benjamin F. KITCHENS
2nd Lieutenant Charles E. LABNO
1st Lieutenant Thomas C. LEAKE
2nd Lieutenant Edward C. MANCHESTER Jr
1st Lieutenant Charles H. MICCELLIO
1st Lieutenant Wilbur E VINSON
1st Lieutenant Joseph H. VIVIAN

kitchens benjamin f stele2
 kitchens benjamin f4

La plaque au monument

Le 24 juin 1944, vers midi, une patrouille de quatre chasseurs américains «Thunderbolt» P-47, revenant d'une mission dans la région d'Avranches, survole Periers. L'avion, reconnaissable à la bande noire sur leurs ailes, appartenait au 404th Fighter Group / 508th Fighter Squadron basé à Winkton dans le sud de l'Angleterre. Deux membres de la formation, le 1er lieutenant Benjamin F. Kitchens, pilote du P-47 D22 numéro de série 225872 (immatriculé 7J B) et le 1er lieutenant Bert Espy Jr, pilote du P-47 D22 numéro de série 225747 (immatriculé 7J C), ont demandé à leur chef de vol la permission de quitter la formation.

Ils venaient de repérer quelques véhicules allemands sur la route et souhaitaient faire une passe de mitraillage sur la cible. Après l'attaque, les deux pilotes ont rapidement tenté de rejoindre le groupe pour le retour en Angleterre. Mais, au cours de cette tentative de rejoindre, l'hélice de l'avion d'Espy a coupé la queue de l'avion de Kitchens.

Les deux avions se sont écrasés et les deux pilotes ont été tués.

Les aviateurs ont été temporairement enterrés par la population locale près du lieu de leur accident: un à un endroit nommé le Bethelin, l'autre à La Bouviere.

L'avion de Kitchen a été localisé et mis au rebut peu de temps après la guerre. Cependant, près de vingt ans plus tard, Henri Levaufre aidé par son fils Christian, a commencé une recherche pour trouver l'épave de l'avion d'Espy. Après quelques années, les restes de l'avion d'Espy, y compris le moteur, ont été localisés et extraits de leur revêtement d'argile. Son moteur est utilisé comme base pour ce mémorial. Les aviateurs ont été temporairement enterrés par la population locale près de la scène de leur accident: l'un à un endroit nommé le Bethelin, l'autre à La Bouviere. L'avion de Kitchen a été localisé et mis au rebut peu de temps après la guerre.

Cependant, près de vingt ans plus tard, Henri Levaufre aidé par son fils Christian, a commencé une recherche pour trouver l'épave de l'avion d'Espy.

Après quelques années, les restes des avions d'Espy, y compris le moteur, ont été localisés et extraits de leur revêtement d'argile.

Son moteur est utilisé comme base pour ce mémorial. Les aviateurs ont été temporairement enterrés par la population locale près de la scène de leur accident: l'un à un endroit nommé le Bethelin, l'autre à La Bouviere. L'avion de Kitchen a été localisé et mis au rebut peu de temps après la guerre. Cependant, près de vingt ans plus tard, Henri Levaufre aidé par son fils Christian, a commencé une recherche pour trouver l'épave de l'avion d'Espy.

 

Tous ne sont pas morts en héros, mais tous sont morts pour notre liberté.

NE LES OUBLIONS PAS

 

  
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTOValentin GACHER - Abmc.gov - Honorstates.org - Findagrave.com - Aerosteles.net - Uswarmemorials.org - Maritimequest.com -  Jean-François Pellouais - Memorial departement
PROGRAMMERFrédéric & Renaud
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