Person    | Male  Born 29/8/1916  Died 28/7/1942

Ben Perry De Haven

Countries: USA

War dead, WW2 i

Commemorated on a memorial as having died in WW2.

Pilot Officer Ben Perry De Haven was born on 29 August 1916 in Mount Sterling, Montgomery County, Kentucky, USA. There would appear to be two ways in which his surname is presented, i.e. De Haven or DeHaven. We have opted to use the spelling shown on the Eagle Squadron war memorial, his gravestone and in RAF records. He was the younger son of Kenney Nuckols DeHaven (1889-1947) and Elizabeth DeHaven née Perry (1892-1953). His elder brother was Wallace DeHaven (1914-1973).

United States Federal Census returns from 1930 to 1940 show him living in Lexington, Fayette County, Kentucky, USA. From 1938 he attended the University of Kentucky in Lexington and our image was taken from their year book.

The American Air Museum in Britain website states that in 1940 he went to Canada where he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 116467. He came to England and as a Pilot Officer he was posted to No.133 (Eagle) Squadron based at RAF Biggin Hill.

He died, aged 25 years, on 28 July 1942 when he was flying his Supermarine Spitfire aeroplane, serial number BL807, when it crashed on a non-operational training flight in Sittingbourne, Kent. He was buried in Plot 24, Row B, Grave 6 in the Brookwood Military Cemetery, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Woking, GU24 0BL. He is also commemorated in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.

Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Ben Perry De Haven

Commemorated ati

Eagle Squadrons

{On the front of the pillar, facing north, into the square, below a carved im...

Read More

Other Subjects

American troops in WW2 in London

American troops in WW2 in London

During WW2 the US armed forces worshipped at the Grosvenor Chapel and partied at Rainbow Corner. This seems a good place to mention the searchable on-line honour roll of 28,000 Americans based in ...

Group, Armed Forces, Religion, USA

3 memorials
Sir Thomas Beecham

Sir Thomas Beecham

Conductor and impresario. Born in Westfield Street, St Helens, grandson of the inventor of the eponymous digestive pills. He began his career as a conductor with the New Symphony Orchestra in 1906,...

Person, Music / songs, USA

2 memorials
Nicholas Sintetos

Nicholas Sintetos

Sergeant, 121 Eagle Squadron, American

Person, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial
Michele Beale

Michele Beale

United Kingdom citizen who died in the terrorist attacks in America on 11 September 2001. Born as Michele Duberry on 27 June 1964, her birth was registered in the Romford, Essex, registration dist...

Person, Tragedy, USA

1 memorial
Eugene Potter

Eugene Potter

Flight Officer, 71 Eagle Squadron, American

Person, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial

Previously viewed

George Steven Strange
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Reginald Alfred Furby
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Conrad Michael Gibson
War dead, WW1
1 memorial