Background
Benger was born in Devizes, the son of Joseph William and Eleanor Dangerfield Benger.
Benger was born in Devizes, the son of Joseph William and Eleanor Dangerfield Benger.
William left school in April 1909 to work as an errand boy. By 1911 he was working as a butcher. Benger initially served in the King"s Royal Rifle Corps, and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1917, where he served as an observer/gunner in the Bristol Two-Seater Fighters of 20 Squadron.
He was injured in action in a crash landing caused by anti-aircraft fire on 25 June 1917.
Two days later, piloted by William Durrand, he set an Albatros Doctorate.V aflame over Moorslede. On 3 October, Benger scored an "out of control" victory.
Eight days later, he set a Doctorate.V on fire and drove another one down out of control. On 17 October 1917 Benger was the observer in Bristol Fighter, Number.
A7271, piloted by Lieutenant Arthur Gilbert Vivian Taylor, which was shot down over Poelcapelle, Belgium, by Theodor Quandt of Jasta 36.
Benger and Taylor were both captured, but died of their injuries shortly afterwards.