John Morley Bennett was born on July 30, 1918. He was the son of Clifford Winthrop Bennett and Madeline Allen.

John served in the 341st Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Captain and Pilot on the B-17 #41-24344 'The Big Bitch' during World War II.

John survived when his airplane crashed in Saint-Vougay, France. On October 21, 1942, his crew took off from Station 110 airfield in Polebrook, England, for a bombing attack in Lorient, France. Upon arrival over the target, their plane was shot down by an Fw190 piloted by Armind Landman and exploded. Among the ten crew members, only two were able to survive. They were thrown out of the plane by the explosion. Cpt Bennett was captured and taken as a prisoner. He was sent to Stalag Luft III in Sagan-Silesia, Poland. The others were killed in the incident. The bodies of those who were killed were initially buried in the cemetery of Plouescat before being transferred.

Cpt Bennett died on July 30, 1989, at the age of 71. His body was cremated, but the location of his ashes is unknown.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net