When Stirling EH887 HA-Z was shot down by Major Walter Ehle near Steinstrasse in the early hours of March 26th, 1943, Francis was the eighth member of the crew, being a newly qualified pilot on his first bombing mission. New pilots had to accompany experienced crew on two bomber missions to observe and learn before being allowed to take their own crew on a mission as pilot. He was the only survivor of the crash.

He was thrown from the firecely burning aircraft but succeeded in deploying his parachute, drifting southwards for a couple of miles and landing in a forest just north of Morschenic, breaking his ankles. He also had shrapnel wounds to his head. Despite his injuries, he managed to reach a forester's hut at about 5.30am and rang the doorbell, believing he had landed in France. When the door was opened by Frau Lydia Rosencranz, he realised he was in Germany and surrendereed to her. She tended to his head wound, then telephoned Johann Pick, the Mayor of Morchenich, who took him to his own home.

Pick notified the mayor's office in Merzenich near Duren who arranged for him to be collected by an officer from the nearby Stalag VI-H prison camp in Arnoldsweiler. He was interrogated by the Gestapo for four weeks notwithstanding his injuries.

He was then transferred to POW camp Stalag Luft III. In January 1945, he was one of the many POWs forced to march westwards as the Soviets advanced on the camp from the east. Francis and an RAF colleague managed to escape and after a few days were rescued by a US Jeep and transported back to the UK.

Francis 'Frank' Bennett was born on 3rd September 1920 in Aintree on the outskirts of Liverpool. Frank's father was a GPO engineer, so the family moved to Hoylake on the Wirral to be nearer the GPO's Liverpool Exchange. In 1940 he volunteered for the RAF and once selected, was sent to the USA to learn flying. As he was returning to the UK in a convoy, his ship was torpedoed, but the crew managed to navigate the badly damaged vessel to Halifax. He remained in the RAF for 33 years.

He married Sine in 1954 and had two children, Nicholas and Jane. Frank died on 25th November 2015, aged 95.

Some information (and photo) taken from Francis Bennett's obituary in the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald.