Benjamin Francis KITCHENS
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NUMBER OF SERVICE | O 671664 | ||||||
AGE | 20 yo | ||||||
DATE OF BIRTH | 6 February 1924 El Paso County, TEXAS | ||||||
ETAT | TEXAS | ||||||
FAMILY |
Parents : William Frederick & Mary E. Rogers KITCHENS Siblings : William Frederick | ||||||
RANK | First Lieutenant | ||||||
FONCTION | Pilot | ||||||
JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT | Actors | ||||||
DATE of ENLISTEMENT | 24 March 1942 Lubbock TEXAS | ||||||
SQUADRON | 508th Fighter Squadron | ||||||
GROUP | 404th Fighter Group | ||||||
ARMY | 9th US Air Force | ||||||
DATE OF DEATH | 24 june 1944 | ||||||
STATUS | KIA | ||||||
PLACE OF DEATH | Périers, MANCHE | ||||||
CAUSE OF DEATH | Collision 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 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 | ||||||
CEMETERY | BRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY of St James | ||||||
GRAVE |
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DECORATION |
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STORY | |||||||
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Ben Kitchens, his older brother Bill and father Fred seen in 1935. | |||||||
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. | |||||||
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 |
Letter from Major General J. A. Ulio received by the next of kin confirming that Benjamin was missing in action. | |||||
Telegram received by the family | |||||||
Medal received by Benjamin F KITCHENS |
SOURCE INFORMATION & PHOTO | Valentin GACHER - Abmc.gov - Honorstates.org - Findagrave.com - Aerosteles.net - Uswarmemorials.org - Maritimequest.com - Jean-François Pellouais - Memorial departement |
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PROGRAMMER | Frédéric & Renaud |