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Anton Benning

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Dr. Anton Benning
Nickname(s)Toni, Fliegender Zahnarzt ("flying dentist")
Born(1918-05-15)15 May 1918
Hakenberg (near Lichtenau), Westphalia, German Empire
Died29 September 2013(2013-09-29) (aged 95)
Recklinghausen, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branchLuftwaffe
Years of service1938–45
RankLeutnant
UnitJG 106
JG 301
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Anton Hermann Benning (15 May 1918 – 29 September 2013) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Career

Benning joined the Luftwaffe in 1938 and was initially posted as a flying instructor. As a transport pilot flying the Junkers Ju 52, he took part in supplying the Stalingrad pocket in early 1943, before retraining as a single engined fighter pilot with Jagdgeschwader 106 (JG 106). In June 1943 Oberfeldwebel Benning was transferred to 2./Jagdgeschwader 301 (JG 301) to operate as a "Wilde Sau" night fighter. He was transferred to 2./Jagdgeschwader 302 (JG 302) as a Leutnant, before becoming Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 301 in late 1944.

He received the Ritterkreuz on 13 April 1945.

Benning was credited with 28 victories (inc. 18 four engined bombers, of which 3 were RAF Lancasters), all on the Western Front.

He studied dentistry in Hamburg, Germany, and started a dental office in Marl, Germany. He was well known as the „flying dentist“ in his area. Both of his sons became pilots as well.

After his death in 2013 a place at the Marl-Loemühle airfield was named after him where he was a founding member. The "Toni Benning Square".

Death

He died 29 September 2013, aged 95 in Recklinghausen.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-45 - Anton Benning (German language) Archived January 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 5 October 2013
  2. Notice of Death Anton Benning. Retrieved 5 October 2013
  3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 35.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 110.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) . Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

External links

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of Jagdgeschwader 300, 301 and 302
Knight's Cross with JG 3. Knight's Cross with KG 4, Swords with the 30th Fighter Division. Oak Leaves with NJGr 10.
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