aBOUT

A Pilot's tale

The history of a  WW2 Fighter Pilot

This is the story of my father’s war, from when he successfully applied to be an RAF pilot, to his role in reconnaissance with fighter command and until his eventual capture and imprisonment in Stalag Luft 3

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Extraordinary Experiences

Leonard “Len” Bennett was 18 years old when he applied to the RAF

Following training in Alabama, Georgia, Len joined 11 Group and flew Recce missions with 171 Squadron and 239 Squadron 

On a low level flight in July 1943, Len’s war ended when he clipped a tree and crash landed. He was a guest of the Third Reich until liberation in 1945

extraordinary images

This site records Len’s war in images from :-

  • His training in America
  • His time with operational squadrons
  • His time as a POW