Arthur Sylvest Bendtsen

Arthur Sylvest Bendtsen, a Army Air Services pilot, is one of the pilots attached to the Danish forces in Sweden in the last part of the Second World War.

Arthur Sylvest Bendtsen is born on 3 March 1910 in Odense. Leaving school he has a commercial apprenticeship. [1]

Pilot in the Danish Army Air Services

Following his national subscription he stays in the Army and he is transferred to the Danish Army Air Services’ Flying School in 1934. He gets his wings the same year (pilot's certificate 159/34). He is then private in Jydske Dragon Regiment (Jutland Dragoons).[2]

On 10 September 1935 he is appointed Sekondløjtnant (2nd Lieutenant) and on 9 October 1937 he is transferred to the Reserve as Løjtnant (Lieutenant). In 1937 he decides to become regular officer in the Army Air Force and he graduates from the Army Military Academy in 1940. From 1940 to 1946 he is in principle posted to the Army Air Services, but in 1941 to 1943 he studies at the Polytechnic Institute in Copenhagen. [3]

DANFORCE

In 1943, following the German siege of the armed forces in Arthur S. Bendtsen is in exile in Sweden. He works at the Swedish aircraft motor company Svenska Flygmotor A/B for some months, but is then one of the Danish pilots attached to the air force of DANFORCE, the Danish Brigade in Sweden. From 14 April 1944 until 12 May 1945 he is trained at Flygflottilj 7, 9 and 11 in Sweden. The unit never saw combat and returns to Denmark 12 May 1945 by train. [4]

After the War

He returns to the Army Air Force after the war as Kaptajnløjtnant (Lieutenant Captain) and from May 1945 to January 1946, he is attached to No. 5 Squadron, 8403 Disarmament Wing, as liaison officer in Værløse Airfield an the Sealand and Lolland/Falster. [5]

Sources:

1. FLYV, 1946
2. FLYV, 1946, Clauson Kaas, 1943
3. HfH
4. Holm, 1995
5. Ancker, 2006, FLYV, 1946