Mike was born in Lancashire, England in October 1922 and joined the RAF in 1939. He trained to be a pilot in Canada where he learned to fly the TigerMoth biplane, going solo in 12 hours. On his return to England he first converted to the Hurricane fighter then to the Spitfire. (One of the Spitfires that Mike flew on his conversation training was Spitfire Mk1a registration AR213 and it is still flying and based at the RAF Museum at Duxford in England! Recent photograph, below).

 

In May 1942 Mike was shot down by the Luftwaffe over the English Channel, off the French coast, rescued from his dinhy and taken prisoner of war (POW). He spent the rest of the war in various prisoner war camps - Dulag Luft, Stalag Luft III, Stalag Luft VI and Stalag 357.

In 1945, after the war, Mike stayed in the RAF, spoke fluent German and served in Vienna and Klagenfurt, Austria where he met and married Doreen.

He was based first at RAF Wahn then at RAF Ahlhorn from November 1952 to November 1954 where he flew the Meteor NF11 night fighter on number 96 Squadron. 96 Squadron's operational task was the night air defence of northern Germany. His flying log book also records that during his time at Ahlhorn, he flew a variety of aircraft including the Tiger Moth, Chipmunk, Vampire T11, Anson 19 and the Meteor NF14.

 

After leaving Germany, Flt Lt Bennett haf flying appointments in England and Aden where he had the distinction of flying the RAF's last operational Dakota KN452 which he eventually flew back to England.

 

In the early 1970s, Mike returned to Germany where he was based at RAF Bruggen and RAF Laarbruch until he retired from the RAF in 1977. In retirement, he lived in the Isle of Man and maintained his lifelong interest in flying. At the age og 89 he had the pleasure of once again of flying a Tiger Moth, the aircaft he first flew solo.

He always valued his time at Ahlorn and maintained contact with his many friends on the 96 Squadron Association. Mike Bennett died at his home on the Isle of Man an 4 February 2016, age 93.

 

 

Mikes daughter Celia Bennet dropped us a captivating complement about her Father's life-story.

He was a member of the Goldfish Club and you could only join this elite club if you had been an a aviator who had been rescued from the sea or a dinghy after ditching or baling out.

By the end of the 39-45 war, this Club had an astonishing 9,000 plus members and even today they still try to have annual reunions. Perhaps you have a similar club in the GAF/SAR world.

 

 

The original flight suit and uniform donated from his daughter Celia Bennet