Lt Charles Bonington

I am looking for information on behalf of the family of Lt Charles bonington of L det sas.

We are specifically interested in information on 52 and possible 50 CDO ME between 1940 / 1941.

We understamnd there does not appear to be a nominal roll for these units or one that has survived at this time and we do have someone going through the 52 cdo war diaries at this time.

However we are looking for anyone who may have knowledge pictures or written information pertaining of him .

He may well have been known or appear in documents as Sgt Charles Bonnington attached 2/1bn Australian army

any help greatly appreciated

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 11/08/2013 23:09:34

Hi Paul,

I'm sure that the family are well aware of Lt Charles Bonington's service with 'L' Detachment, as it is well documented but, for the sake of other forum members, here is what I know:

Lt Charles Bonington was one of the first 6 officers that David Stirling recruited into 'L' Det.

David Stirling was given the go-ahead for his first airbourne attack on the enemy's five advanced airfields in the Gazala-Tmimi area.
The raids were scheduled to take place ahead of Auchinleck's first major offensive which was scheduled to open at dawn on 18 November 1941.
The SAS had been given, an unprecedented, five Bristol Bombays from 216 Sqn RAF, in which to carry out the raid.

The aircraft had taken off at twenty minute intervals from Baggush, an airfield west of Alexandria. It was a moonless night with cloud, rain and high winds.
At approx 22.20hrs the five aircraft banked south over the coast of Cyrenaica and into a wall of Italian Ack-Ack.
The aircraft were spaced out, the pilots looking for seperate drop-zones on the Littoral Plain - about 10 minutes away - below them a fierce sandstorm was brewing...
David Stirling, in the lead Bombay, No1 Flight, was now only 6 minutes away from the jump, but he was unaware that one of the five aircraft hadn't made it through the Italian Ground Defence.

No4 Flight's pilot, Flight Sergeant Charlie West, had taken his Bombay down to 200ft to try and get a visual fix on the coast. Immediatly after the aircraft broke through the clouds, she was hit by flak, shattering the instruments and punching a hole through the port engine.
Charlie West told the SAS Section Commander, Lt Charles Bonington, that he was aborting the drop and turning back...
Lt Bonington's stick never jumped. No4 Flight headed back east for 50 minutes until the fuel was almost out. Flt Sgt West set the Bombay down on what he was sure was Allied territory, only to discover his compass had been damaged and that they'd flown round in a big circle!
Using the last of the fuel, West managed to get the aircraft airbourne again but she ran into a Messerscmitt 109 which shot her down.
She crashlanded in the desert and broke up.
Flt Sgt West suffered a fractured skull, ribs and shoulder and a ruptured diaphragm. His Wireless Operator was badly hurt and the Co-Pilot killed.
Charles Bonington, his Troop Sgt, Ernie Bond, and the other eight SAS men were injured, one, Doug Keith, mortally.
All of them, including observer, Major F C Thompson, were taken prisoner by German troops.

Nick

Hi Nick,
there are still a few clouds surrounding Flight No.4 and there are two reports in existence written by survivors from the RAF crew.
Three of the crew were to die and also Sgt. Syd Stone from 7 Commando who died from his injuries.
Pct. Danny Hill, 8 (Guards) Commando was seriously injured but recovered.
I have a record that Pct Dougie Keith 11 (Scottish) Commando was lost when the POW ship he was in the Sebastiano Venier was torpedoed off the coast of Greece while in transit to Italy by a RN Submarine.
It is though a very interesting story about this flight though one that hopefully will be fully resolved.
Kind regards,
Alan.

Hi Alan,
Thanks for your post - as always, with the Commandos/Special Forces, nothing is ever straight forward.

I'm sure your research was in far greater depth than mine so I would accept your report as closer to the truth.
Nevertheless, I think we agree that Lt Charles Bonington was, along with the other survivors, taken Prisoner of War.

Cheers,
Nick