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Benn, Hon. Michael Julius Wedgwood, son of Rt Hon. William Wedgwood Benn, 1st Viscount Stansgate, PC DSO DFC, and Margaret, d. of Daniel Turner Holmes MP; b. 5 Sept. 1921; adm. Sept. 1934 (H); left July 1940; RAFVR 1941 (Flt-Lieut.); a fighter pilot, DFC Aug. 1943; d. of wounds received in action June 1944.

Michael Julius Wedgwood Benn was born in Sussex on the 5th of September 1921 the eldest son of Air Commodore the Right Honourable William Wedgwood Benn DSO, DFC MP, 1st Viscount Stansgate, and Vicountess Stansgate, Margaret Eadie (nee Holmes) Benn of 40, Millbank, Westminster and of Stansgate Abbey in Essex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1934 to July 1940. He was a member of the 3rd Rowing VIII in 1937 and of the 2nd Rowing VIII in 1939. He was elected as Secretary of the Boat Club in 1940. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 16th of August 1941. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 16th of August 1942 and to Flight Lieutenant on the 16th of August 1943. He was serving with 153 Squadron when he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 20th of August 1943.
Michael Benn and his navigator, Flying Officer William Alec Roe, took off from RAF Thorney Island at 2.10am on the 23rd of June 1944 in Mosquito FB Mk VI NS837 YH-G for a patrol. It was to be his final operation before he was to take up a post as Aide de Camp to the Air Marshal commanding the Far East. Soon after taking off he noticed that the air speed indicator was malfunctioning and he called the base to say that he was returning. When he arrived over the airfield he found that the runway lights had been turned off. With no way of judging his landing he was afraid of landing short of the runway but instead he landed too far down it and struck a nine foot sea wall at the far end of it. The aircraft crashed through the wall, across the beach and into the sea beyond. Michael Benn had broken his back in the crash and William Roe, although injured himself, had to hold Benn’s head above water until the two men were rescued. They were taken to St Richards Hospital, Chichester for treatment. Margaret Benn rushed to the hospital to visit her son and was able to speak to him before he died twenty minutes later at 3.40pm
He had left a letter to his parents, which was to be opened in the event of his death and read as follows: -
“So may I now take my leave of you, Father, from whom I inherited those qualities which I hoped would play their part later in my life and who was always a friend I could trust and who was everything a friend could be. If he knew how true his first words had come. Mother, from whom I inherited the precious gift of religion, time alone would have shown what I intended to do with that. James (Anthony) who would have been a helping friend and who shared so many interests with me. We might have done great things together. The little Prof (David) to whom I am devoted. Take care of him. Last, but by no means least, Nursey, who has contributed to the family more than she can ever realise. To you all I say au revoir. It was my dearest wish to settle down to do what I could to prevent the suffering of another war from descending on the lives of our children. How I longed to see a world when people could be as free and happy as we were in our family. The toast is then, “The Future”. God Bless you all, my family”
His funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium on the 28th of June 1944, but his father and brother, Anthony, were unable to attend.
He is commemorated on a memorial in St Lawrence’s Church, Steeple in Essex.
He is commemorated at Golders Green Crematorium Panel 1.

Ventura, John Miguel Thomas, son of Capt. Albert Ventura, Vice-Consul of the Dominican Republic, and Rosetta, d. of Nathan Nathan of Forest Gate, Essex; b. 14 Sept. 1912; adm. Apr. 1926 (H); left Dec. 1928; a manufacturer's agent; m. 14 Dec. 1960 Carol, d. of Leonard Augus­ tine Litten, PLA officer, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; d. 15 Sept. 1997.

Verdon, Philip, son of Henry Walter Verdon, M.D., of Streatham, Surrey; b. Feb. 22, 1886; adm. Sept. 27, 1900 (H); left April 1901; Jesus College Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1905; B.A. 1908; St. Thomas's Hospital; M.R.C.S. and L.R.C.P. 1912; B.Ch. (Camb.) 1923; won silver medal for rowing (men's coxless pairs) at the 1908 London Olympics; served in Great War I; Capt. R.A.M.C. Dec. 1, 1916; Lieut. Indian Medical Service Aug. 8, 1917; Capt. Dec. 7, 1918; Major Dec. 1, 1927; Lieut.-Col. Dec. 1, 1935; professor in ophthal­mology, Madras, S. India 1935-40; served in World War II, consulting ophthalmologist, India, with rank of Colonel, 1943; m. Feb. 28, 1922, Doris Kathleen, youngest daughter of Maj. Gen. W. Hendley, C.S.J., K.H.S., of Cambridge; d. June 18, 1960.

Kent, Cecil, son of Charles Alston Kent, of St. John's Wood, secretary to Trinity House; b. Sept. 25, 1883; adm. Sept. 22, 1898 (H); left July 1902; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1902; B.A. 1905; served in Great War I; temp. Lieut. R.N.V.R. Dec. 21, 1914; Lieut. ­ Commander Sept. 19, 1917; author of The Story of the Tests in England (1934); d. April 14, 1942.

Corsellis, John, son of Douglas Henry Corsellis, barrister, and Helen Mary, sister of Philip Manley Bendall (qv); b. 14 Jan. 1923; adm. Sept. 1936 (H), (KS) Sept. 1937; left July 1940; articled clerk Herbert & Gowers Oxf. 1941-9; humanitarian aid worker Friends Ambulance Unit 1942, UNRRA 1945-7; adm. solicitor Mar. 1949; gen. sec., Educational Interchange Council 1949-62; OM (1st class) Fed. Rep. of Germany 1963; registrar, Bell Sch. of Languages 1962-92, subsequently bursar and principal; sec., Bell Educ. Trust 1952-92; registrar Camb. Centre for Languages, Sawston Hall 1982-91; retd. 1991; co-author Slovenia 1945: Memories of death and survival after World War II 2005 and co-researcher The Unassuming Sky: The Life and Poetry of Timothy Corsellis 2012; initiated Timothy Corsellis Prize Competition in memory of elder brother, featuring the World War II War Poets; John Corsellis archive accessible at History Dept., Univ. of East Anglia, Norwich; m. 26 May 1966 Ursula Ann Constance Alder OBE MA SRN SCM JP, author, d. of Haswell Alder, mining engineer, of Burnbridge, Yorks.; d. 18 Nov. 2018.

Maitland, The Hon. Sydney George William, second son of Frederick, 13th Earl of Lauder­dale, by his first wife, Charlotte Sarah, daughter of Lieut.-Col. Burrows Willcocks Arthur Sleigh, 77th Regt.; b. Dec. 12, 1869; adm. Oct. 1, 1883 (H); left April 1887; Trin. Coll. Camb. (adm. pensr. May 21, 1888); B.A. 1891; M.A. 1895; Cuddesdon Theol. Coll.; ordained deacon 1893, priest 1894 (Lichfield); Curate of St. John's, Longton, Staffs, 1893-6, of Tividale, Staffs, 1896-1902; Vicar of St. Mary Palfrey, Walsall, Staffs, 1903-14, of St. Luke's, Southport, Lancs, 1914-9, of St. Paul, Burton-on-Trent, 1919-27; organising secretary U.M.C.A. for Midlands 1930-34; Rector of lngestre, Staffs, 1927-37 with Tixall, Staffs, from 1932; m. April 11, 1899, Ella Frances, daughter of the Rev. James Richards, Vicar of St. Peter's, Newbold, Lancs; d. Aug. 21, 1946.

Maitland, The Hon. Alfred Henry, brother of the Hon. Sydney George William Maitland (q.v.); b. Dec. 9, 1872; adm. Jan. 14, 1886 (H); left Nov. 1889; Trin. Coll. Camb.; d. 21 Sept. 1914.

Denman, The Hon. Sir Richard Douglas, Bart., younger son of Richard Denman, by Helen Mary, daughter of Gilbert McMicking, of Miltonise, Wigtonshire, and great-grandson of Thomas, 1st Baron Denman; b. Aug. 24, 1876; adm. April 24, 1890 (H); exhibitioner 1890; left 1892; Ball. Coll. Oxon., matric. Jan. 1896; Stanhope Prize for Historical Essay 1898; Chancellor's Prize for English Essay 1900; played hockey against Cambridge 1899; B.A. 1899; raised to the rank of a baron's son 1896; private secretary to the Hon. S. C. Buxton 1905-14; served in France as Lieut. in the R. F. A. 1915-7; Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Rt. Hon. R.E. Prothero and the Rt. Hon. H. A. L. Fisher 1917-8; M. P. Carlisle Jan. 1910 - Nov. 1918; Director of the Marine and General Mutual Life Assurance Society; M. P. Central Leeds 1929-45; Second Church Estates Commissioner 1931-43; Treasurer of Queen Anne's Bounty 1939-44; created a baronet July 24, 1945; m. 1st Feb. 11, 1904, Helen Christian, only daughter of Sir Thomas Sutherland, G.C.M.G.; 2nd, June 10, 1914, Mary Radley, daughter of James Spencer, of Greystoke, Cumberland.; d. Dec. 21, 1957.

Ainsworth-Davis, John Creyghton, son of Professor James Richard Ainsworth-Davis, sometime Principal of the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, Gloucs., by Jessie, daughter of James Coutts, of Edinburgh; b. April 23, 1895; adm. Jan. 14, 1909 (H); left (with Triplett) July 1914; Christ's Coll. Camb., exhibitioner, matric. Michaelmas 1914; ran second in the hundred yards and in the quarter-mile at the Special Camb. Univ. Sports in May 1919; ran against Oxford in the quarter-mile in 1920; ran for England in the Olympic Games 1920; Gold Medal for 4 x 400 metres relay; B.A. 1920; St. Bartholomew's Hospital; M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., 1923; M.A., B. Ch. 1924; M.B. 1925; F.R.C.S. (Edin.) 1926; F.R.C.S. 1929; M. D. 1933; a consulting urological surgeon practising in London; sometime president of the Hunterian Society; author of Essentials of Urology (1952); 2nd Lieut. 4th Batt. Rifle Brigade Dec. 16, 1914, attached to 6th Batt.; Capt.; Royal Flying Corps; served 1914-19 in France, Salonika, Egypt and Palestine and was taken prisoner; Sqdn. Ldr. (Medical) R.A.F.V.R., Sept. 18, 1939; Wing-Cdr. Sept. 1, 1941; in charge of surgical division of a R.A.F. hospital 1939-45; m. rst 1920; wd 1947, Irene, daughter of Alfred Hope, of Wolverhampton.

Doherty, Reginald Frank, brother of William Vernon Doherty (q.v.); b. Oct. 14, 1872; adm. Sept. 28, 1883 (H); left Dec. 1890; Trin. Hall, Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1894; played lawn tennis (singles and doubles) against Oxford 1895 and 1896; won the English championship singles 1897-1900, (doubles) with Hugh Lawrence Doherty (q.v.) 1897-1901 and 1903-5, the American championship (doubles) with H. L. Doherty 1902-3, the Davis Cup (singles and doubles) 1903, (doubles) 1904-6, the Irish championship (singles) 1899-1901, (doubles) with H. L. Doherty 1898-1902, the Scottish championship (singles) 1895-7, (doubles) with H. L. Doherty 1897-8, the English Covered Court championship (doubles) with H. L. Doherty 1898-1903 and 1906; won at the Paris 1900 Olympics, men's doubles (gold, with H.L. Doherty), mixed doubles (gold) and singles (bronze), won at the 1908 London Olympics, men's doubles (gold); d. Dec. 29, 1910.