Benjamin H. King
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) P-38G Lighting and P-51D Mustang Pilot and Ace
U.S. Air Force (USAF) Brigadier General

Background
Benjamin H. King was born in Addie Lee, OK on December 9, 1919. He attended High School in Fayeteville, AR. He completed one year of college at University of Oklahoma and was employed as a welder.

Wartime History
On February 28, 1942 he enlisted in the U.S. Army Force (USAAF) at Will Rogers Field in Oklahoma City, OK as an aviation cadet with serial number 18106706. He was a flying cadet at Kelly Field. During October 1942 completed flight training Class 42-J at Foster Field in Texas and earned his wings. On November 10, 1942 commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-666955 and was sent overseas to the South Pacific (SOPAC). In February 1943 assigned to the 347th Fighter Group (347th FG), 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) as a fighter pilot flying the P-38 Lightning.

Mission History
On July 17, 1943 took off from Fighter 2 Airfield (Kukum) on Guadalcanal piloting P-38G Lightning 43-2206 on a mission to escort B-24 Liberators over Kahili Airfield (Buin) on southern Bougainville. The weather was clear with unlimited visibility.

Over the target at 20,000', the formation was intercepted by Japanese fighters. Returning from the mission, other pilots reported a P-38 smoking and being chased by Zeros. At roughly 9:40am, King was observed to ditch off Kotulu Island near Vella Lavella. In King's after action report, he claimed he ditched "five miles east of Shortland." When this aircraft failed to return, it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Fate of Pilot
After ditching, King was unhurt and successfully deployed his life raft and spent five days at sea before making landfall on Mono Island on July 22, 1943. Meanwhile, native people on Mono Island observed two A6M2-N Rufes strafing something in the water offshore and began searching for a downed pilot and found King and aided him ashore where he join the crew of TBF Avenger 47448 who ditched June 16 and been hiding on the island since June 18. The next day, the three crew members of TBF Avenger 05923 who ditched July 18, 1943 also arrived on the island and joined the group.

Hidden on the island by the local people, the group of seven aviators ate only one chicken and no other meat and rotated reading the Bible at night to keep up their spirits, and on several occasions avoided nearby Japanese patrols. King suffered a throat problem, thought to be strep throat and took sulfa tablets and was given a brew from leaves by the native doctor that cured him two days later.

After nearly three months, a portion of the group (Peck, Teft, Mitchell and King) planned to sail to the south and bring help to the others on Mono Island. Using one of their life rafts they departed September 13, 1943 on a moonlit night and spent four days in the raft at sea observing Japanese and Allied aircraft overhead.

Rescue
On September 17, 1943 their raft was spotted by a patrol plane that dropped rations, but they were not able to retrieve them and the plane departed. A PT-Boat was deployed to search for them, but was unsuccessful. At 6:00, a PBY Catalina escorted by fighters over flew their raft but departed. At 10:00pm, a PBY Catalina piloted by Lt(jg) Fred H. Gage, USNR from VP-54 was on a routine night patrol of the Vella Lavella-Shortland-Fauro area. When the men in the raft heard it, they lit a flare in a can of kerosene as a signal.

Spotting the light, the Catalina circled for 2 1/2 hours before attempting to land on September 18, 1943 at 2:30am and pulled alongside the raft, then roughly six miles NW of Vella Lavella. The men were too weak after 96 hours at sea and had to be lifted aboard, and then their raft was destroyed. Afterwards, they were flown to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal and again had to be carried off the Catalina.

Afterwards, King resumed flying combat missions. On November 1, 1944 took off on a mission over Empress Augusta Bay and claimed a Zero shot down, his third aerial victory claim.

Afterwards, the men were returned to the United States.

After rest and recuperation in the United States, he was assigned to the 8th Air Force (8th AF), 359th Fighter Group (359th FG), 368th Fighter Squadron (368th FG) as Commanding Officer (C. O.) flying the P-51D Mustang in Europe (ETO). and claimed four more aerial victories.

On September 11, 1944 took off on an escort mission to Meseburg and near Blankenheim his group encountered roughly 200 Luftwaffe fighters and a dogfight began from Gissen to Eisleben. During the air combat, King shot down two FW-190s and the a Me-109 to become an ace. On September 12, 1944 took off on an escort mission over Berlin and shot down another Me-109 near Gransee. Afterwards, he returned to the United States and was assigned as the deputy director at Santa Maria, CA.

Aerial Victory Claims
King was officially credited with seven aerial victories between July 17, 1943 to November 1, 1943 with the 339th Fighter Squadron (339th FS) in the South Pacific and four victories between September 11-12, 1944 in the Mediterranean.

Victory	Date	Location	Aircraft	Notes on claim
1	07/17/43	Kahili Airfield (Buin)	A6M Zero	First aerial victory claim.
2	07/17/43	Kahili Airfield (Buin)	A6M Zero	Second aerial victory claim.
3	11/01/43	Empress Augusta Bay	A6M Zero	Third aerial victory claim.
4	09/11/44	Gissen–Eisleben ETO	Fw-190	Fourth aerial victory claim.
5	09/11/44	Gissen–Eisleben ETO	Fw-190	Fifth aerial victory claim, became an "ace".
6	09/11/44	Gissen–Eisleben ETO	Me-109	Sixth aerial victory claim.
7	09/12/44	Gransee ETO	Me-109	Seventh aerial victory claim.

Postwar
In February 1946 King graduated from Army Command and General Staff School. In 1947, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF). In June 1950 he graduated from Air Command and Staff School.

In September 1950 became commander of the 8th Fighter Bomber Squadron at Taegu Airfield, flying 226 missions in the P-51 Mustang and F-80 Shooting Star during the Korean War.

Between January 1957 until July 1959, General King was commander 4750th Air Defense Group, and later as deputy commander and commander 4750th Air Defense Wing based at Vincent Air Force Base in Arizona and moved with the wing to MacDill AFB.

In July 1960 he was reassigned as director, Joint BOMARC Test Staff, Detachment 1, Montgomery Air Defense Sector, Eglin AFB.

From May 1961 until March 1962, he served as commander, 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron and 4400th CCT Group at Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field #9 and in April 1962 he was assigned as commander, 1st Combat Applications Group, Eglin AFB forming the Air Commandos at Hurlburt Field and was their Commanding Officer (C. O.) for three years. During the Vietnam War, he flew roughly 100 missions in the C-47, T-28 and A-1E. General King was assigned in October 1963 as deputy director of the Secretary of Defense Advisory Research Project Agency Field Unit, Bangkok in Thailand.

In October 1964 he returned to the United States and was assigned to the Aerospace Defense Command and became the vice commander, Los Angeles Air Defense Sector, Norton AFB. Next, deputy for operations, 28th Air Division and the Air Force and as vice commander, Fourth Air Force at Hamilton AFB. 

In 1966 promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. During August 1967 he became command Inspector General, Headquarters Aerospace Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, CO, and in January 1969 he became director of aerospace safety, Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Inspection and Safety at Norton AFB. His final assignment was director of aerospace safety, Office of the Deputy Inspector General for Inspection and Safety at Norton AFB. On January 31, 1971 he retired from the USAF.

Memorials
King passed away October 7, 2004. He has no known burial in the United States.

References
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Benjamin H. King
USAF Historical Study No. 85 USAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II Alphabetical: King, Benjamin H. page 105 (PDF page 112)
USAF Brigadier General Benjamin King
Obituary Brigadier General Benjamin King Dec 9, 1919 - Oct 7, 2004 via Wayback Machine December 10, 2010
"Stranded! There were 7 Japs and the sea to fight" by Seth Bailey
"Airmen Reports Miracle Rescue"
Lonely Vigil (1977) pages 282-283
Atlanta Georgia News "How a crashed WWII airman survived enemy bullets" by Bo Emerson May 25, 2017

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