1939 - 1945
Benson's War Graves Cemetery is located oppposite the church and entered by a lych gate. There are 29 graves from WW2, beautifully kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. These include British, New Zealand, Canadian, Czechoslovakian and Polish airmen. Since the end of the war, 22 more airmen have been buried here.
Further information is available on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
NAMES OF THOSE SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN, BURIED IN BENSON CEMETERY, WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Name Rank Service Number Date of Death Age Regiment / Service Memorial Reference
(Row /Grave number)
BARNETT, MICHAEL EDWARD FULTON Pilot Officer 36235 08/04/1940 18 Royal Air Force C/6
On the night of 8 April, Barnett aged 18, was detailed to carry out circuits and landings on Benson Aerodrome. Having made one landing, he took off again at 22.45 hours, climbed to a height of 600 ft, swung to the right and crashed at Ewelme, near Benson.
BLYSKEL, FRANCISYEK Sergeant P793314 26/11/1940 21 Royal Air Force D/9
One of three Polish airmen, who took off from Benson. After completing two circuits at 1,000 ft, the aircraft dived and crashed at Mount Farm, Dorchester, Oxfordshire.
CAMPBELL, JAMES Pilot Officer 41345 07/11/1939 20 Royal Air Force B/5
On the morning of 7 November, Campbell collected an aircraft from Feltham for delivery to Brize Norton. He crashed into a hill in low cloud and fog near Ewelme Park, Oxfordshire.
CANTWELL, NICHOLAS WILLIAM Sergeant 581320 20/09/1940 21 Royal Air Force E/8
Cantwell was killed in Euston Road, during an enemy air raid on London.
CONSTABLE, ALBERT VICTOR Lance Corporal 7590727 22/03/1943 28 Royal Army Ordnance Corps C/39
Constable, from Benson, took part in the BEF action, which ended at Dunkirk. He contracted pleurisy, whilst waiting to be evacuated from the beaches and was taken to hospital in Headington, Oxford, where he died. He is commemorated in a window in St Helen's Church, Benson.
COUPER, THOMAS MACKINTOSH Pilot Officer J/3742 18/04/1941 20 Royal Canadian Air Force F/10
At the age of 20, Couper was on night practice landings, when his aircraft struck a farm building and crashed at 04.00 hours.
CRAVEN, DEREK JOSEPH Sergeant 581207 11/06/1940 25 Royal Air Force F/7
Craven was killed when his aeroplane crashed one mile south-west of Benson.
CUMBERLEGE, PATRICIA MARY BRIDGET Section Officer 7014 29/11/1946 33 Women's Auxiliary Air Force E/11
Cumberlege was a Photo Interpreter in the WAAF. She was flying to gain air experience, when her Mosquito crashed at Coombe Park Farm.
DUNLOP, DUNCAN DARROCK Sergeant 1330863 04/06/1942 19 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve C/10
Aged 19, Dunlop was a member of the crew of a Wellington, which crashed near Henley, Oxfordshire.
EVERITT, MAURICE VIVIAN Sergeant 654354 24/07/1940 19 Royal Air Force D/7
Aged 19, Everitt was killed when his aircraft crashed at North Stoke, Oxfordshire.
FISHER, ARTHUR VIVIAN Pilot Officer 43702 06/08/1940 23 Royal Air Force B/7
Fisher was airborne on his first night landing practice. His aircraft crashed at Britwell House Estate, near Watlington, Oxfordshire.
GRIERSON, JOHN ALEXANDER Pilot Officer 405256 07/12/1941 21 Royal New Zealand Air Force D/10
Aged 21, Grierson was the pilot of a Wellington on a non-operational flight, which crashed at Benson.
HENDERSON, CYRIL CLIFFORD Sergeant 901353 20/09/1940 23 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve F/8
Henderson died as a result of injuries received in an enemy air raid on London the previous evening.
HUGO, PETER JOHN Flying Officer 122131 08/01/1944 21 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve G/11
Aged 21, Hugo was killed when the Mosquito in which he was flying, stalled on landing at RAF Benson.
HUNT, JAMES DOUGLAS Sergeant 553383 28/12/1940 19 Royal Air Force G/9
Aged 19, Hunt was a member of the crew of a Hampden, which crashed at Appleford Bridge, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, on a return flight from Bordeaux.
IGNASZEK, ANTONE HENRYK Pilot Officer P0071 26/11/1940 25 Royal Air Force E/9
One of three Polish airmen, who took off from Benson. After completing two circuits at 1,000 ft, the aircraft dived and crashed at Mount Farm, an airfield near Dorchester, Oxfordshire.
JONES, NORMAN GRENVILLE Corporal 348270 12/03/1941 37 Royal Air Force B/9
Jones was killed as a result of enemy action at Mount Farm, an airfield near Dorchester, Oxfordshire.
KEOGH, ROBERT ALLAN WALKER Aircraftman 1st Class 569519 18/10/1939 20 Royal Air Force C/5
Keogh was a passenger in one of three aircraft of 52 Squadron, engaged in formation flying practice. His aircraft collided with another aeroplane of the formation and crashed one mile west of Dorchester, Oxfordshire.
MAKAREWICZ, WLADYSLAW Pilot Officer P0063 26/11/1940 25 Royal Air Force C/9
One of three Polish airmen, who took off from Benson. After completing two circuits at 1,000 ft, the aircraft dived and crashed at Mount Farm, an airfield near Dorchester, Oxfordshire.
McLEAN, DONALD Sergeant R/66040 18/04/1941 22 Royal Canadian Air Force G/10
McLean died in the aircraft on night practice landings, piloted by Thomas Coupar, which struck a farm building and crashed at 04.00 hours.
ODSTR-CILEK, OTAKAR Sergeant 787369 30/09/1940 29 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve D/8
Odstr-Cilek, from Czechoslovakia, was on his first solo flight in the type of aircraft he was flying. He crashed at 11.45 at Streatley, Berkshire.
PARRY, HERBERT WILLIAM Sergeant 1181625 19/06/1941 19 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve E/10
Aged 19, Parry was flying at night in a Wellington practising circuits and landings. His aircraft overshot the runway at Mount Farm aerodrome, near Dorchester, Oxfordshire and crashed at Drayton St. Leonard, with the loss of the entire crew. Sgt Parry was from Isleworth and was based on No12 OTU from RAF Benson and his fellow crew were: Sgt Kenneth Turner Mitchell, from Falkirk; Sgt Howard Ursell from Hampton Middlesex and Sgt Leslie Owen Hodnett from Stourbridge.
Click here to see a photograph of Sgt Parry and his interment.
​
PERRY, CHARLES DAVID Sergeant 561615 14/06/1940 29 Royal Air Force E/7
Perry was seriously wounded in a raid in France, and made a forced landing on his return to base. He was evacuated to Stourbridge, where he died. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.
PHYPERS, JOHN Aircraftman 1st Class 1611663 12/06/1943 39 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve B/10
ROBB, WILLIAM Sergeant 628511 29/07/1940 18 Royal Air Force C/7
Robb died in an aircraft crash at Benson aged 18.
ROONEY, LOUIS JOHN Flight Lieutenant 39955 28/12/1940 25 Royal Air Force F/9
Rooney was the pilot of a Hampden, which took off from Scampton to fly to Bordeaux. He crashed at Appleford Bridge, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire on the return flight.
ROSE, MERTON LAMBERT HORFIELD Flying Officer 124222 08/01/1944 25 RAF Volunteer Reserve F/11
Rose was killed when the Mosquito in which he was flying, stalled on landing at RAF Benson.
SOKOLOWSKI-DE-JENKO, GEORGE Pilot Officer P1360 01/10/1940 33 Royal Air Force C/8
Sokolowski was practising night flying, when he crashed at Heath End, near Checkendon.
THOMSON, BASIL PERCY Pilot Officer 36264 11/06/1940 20 Royal Air Force G/7
Thomson was killed in an aircraft crash one mile south-west of Benson aerodrome.
WAINWRIGHT, ANTHONY GEOFFERY BRIAN, MC Major 74537 13/06/1942 Royal Artillery F/39
WEST, FREDERICK HORNBY SUTCLIFFE Pilot Officer 66507 28/02/1941 23 RAF Volunteer Reserve B/8
Flying from Benson for the first time, West was receiving instructions on landing when his aircraft crashed at Watlington, Oxfordshire.
Researched by the authors of Benson Book of Remembrance :
Alastair Jack, Janet and William Burtt and Don Fletcher
Benson children laying red, white and blue posies in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in 1995 to mark fifty years since VE Day.
BENSON'S ROLL OF HONOUR : NAMES OF SERVICEMEN,
COMMEMORATED ON THE BENSON WAR MEMORIAL
Click on a name from the list below, for more details, which will open in a new window.
Close window to return.
CASUALTIES 1939 - 1945
Old boy of Benson School, died near Dunkirk
Civil Engineer from Crowmarsh Battle Farm, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Half-brother of Richard Chamberlain, above, who died from fever, whilst serving in Burma.
Pilot of a Manchester aircraft, he died, aged 23, and was buried in the Netherlands.
A Flight Lieutenant, attached to a Balloon Wing, he was seriously injured by a V1 flying bomb and died in hospital.
A Halifax pilot, who was killed, aged 21. His parents were publicans at Roke.
He was killed in action in Burma.
He died at sea, when his vessel struck a mine and sunk with few survivors.
(See photograph in slideshow on RAF history page.)
Old boy of Benson School and Wallingford Grammar School, who came from Castle Square, Benson. His aircraft failed to return from a mission over the Norwegian coast.
He was a carpenter from Wood Street, Wallingford, who died of his injuries, whilst serving in India.
Researched by the authors of Benson Book of Remembrance :
Alastair Jack, Janet and William Burtt and Don Fletcher
To order a copy, please click the button at the foot of this page.
Group photograph of Benson Home Guard
