Driver Wilfred Bennett

Wilfred Bennett was the son of John and Mary Bennett, of Oldham, Lancashire and husband of Annie Bennett, of Oldham. He enlisted in the Royal Army Service Corps and volunteered for airborne forces.

Driver Bennett successfully completed his parachute training at RAF Ringway on course number 35 on 29 October to 7 November 1942 and was posted to Motor Transport Platoon, attached 2 Pln, 250 (Airborne) Light Composite Company, Royal Army Service Corps and took part in Operation Market Garden, Arnhem.

Dvr Bennett was killed in action on 19 September 1944, aged 24, with Captain Kavanagh when his jeeps and about 20 men were ambushed by German troops as they crossed the Dreyensebrug bridge in an attempt to recover supplies which had fallen wide in a field just beyond the Oosterbeek Hoog railway station. The captain and a few of his men covered the retreat of the platoon and were subsequently killed or taken POW.

Dvr Bennett has no known grave and is commemorated on the Groesbeek Memorial to the missing, panel 9.

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