LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Benjamin Harvey BISHOP
Service No: 406557
Born: Albany WA, 5 April 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF), RAF Lissett, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Lancaster aircraft DT748), France, 11 March 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Marson-Sur-Barboure Churchyard, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Benjamin and Agnes Bishop, of Geraldton, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Bunbury WA
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Halifax DT748 took off from RAF Lissett at 1928 hours on the night of 11/12th March 1943, detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Marson-Sur-Barboure (Meuse), 27 kms south east of Bar-Le-Duc, France. All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Marson-Sur-Barboure Churchyard.
The crew members of DT748 were:
Sergeant Leslie Edward Ashdown (657089) (RAFVR) (Mid Gunner)
Sergeant Benjamin Harvey Bishop (406557) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant John Harris (1339498) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Thomas Charles Laws (655647) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Pilot Officer Philip Grenville Lyon (143403) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Ernest Frederick Smith (632681) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Harold Edmund Witham (1332048) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/72
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990