1st Fighter Group 03/10/1943
REPORT OF 2ND LT. B. E. MILLER 12 March, 1943.
While returning from a bomber escort mission over Tunis on March 10, 1943, my plane was hit at 23,000 feet by an Me-109 in the left engine and cockpit and caught on fire. My speed was between 250 and 300 M.P.H. I reached up with my right hand and released the emergency release handle. The hatch flew off. Then I put my right hand in my safety belt release and my left hand on my left window handle. The moment the safety belt released, I was catapulted (or sucked) up and out of the cockpit in a series of perfect back-flips, clearing the empennage easily. I counted 10 quickly, and pulled the rip-cord, the chute opening immediately with a loud crack. I experienced burns about the face when my cockpit caught fire. Before becoming unconscious I noticed a P-38 (Lt. W. E. Mathews) circling about me in order to protect me. When I “came to” I was in the cloud layer and there were no airplanes about me. It took from 5 to 10 minutes to float down from 23,000 feet. I landed on a soft ploughed slope about 6 miles Northeast of Testour, becoming unconscious upon impact with the ground. Arabs immediately took charge of me. I gave them my blood chit. They read and apparently understood it for they took me to their Chiefs’ hut. They apparently wanted me to stay within the confines of their area until help arrived. I understood that they wanted me to stay until morning when they would take me to the nearest town. That night I was entertained by drum music. I was given two eggs and offered a drink of milk out of an oil can. I tried to give the impression that I was sipping the milk but I did not drink any. I was entertained by music for awhile. I was given a blanket and slept on the floor with the rest of the family. At 2:00 A.M. the chief raised up and gave a terrifying yell. Then he got up, put on his shoes, and went outside. A few minutes later an electric torch was shined in my face by a French gendarme who shook hands with me with one hand and pointed a pistol at me with the other. He thought I was German. We argued the point. Just then British M.P.’s arrived and straightened everything out. We mounted mules and rode for 2 hours before getting in a jeep which took us to Testour. I was given breakfast by British authorities there. The M.P. put me on a truck which took me to Teboursouk. From there I caught a truck to Souk El Arba. I was then taken to an R.A.F. A/D. There W.C. DONALDSON turned me over to a medical Lt. Colonel who treated me for burns. After lunch a Beaufighter brought me from Souk El Arba to Tingley Field at Bone to my home base.
2nd Lt. Benton E. Miller
1328 West 65th Place
Los Angeles, California B. E. MILLER,
2nd Lt., Air Corps,
94th Fighter Squadron,
1st Fighter Group.
2nd Lt. Willis E. Mathews
4447 W. Olive Street,
Burbank, California
Official US Army Air Forces Combat Report by Benton Miller of the 1st Fighter Group. This material is a transcription of official reports-testimonials of Benton Miller's combat experience.
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