Don Bennett - After The War

After The War

Despite the unquestioned achievements of No. 8 Group, at the end of the war Bennett was the only bomber Group Commander not to be knighted. He returned to private life and pursued a variety of activities. He became a Director of British South American Airways, and designed and built both cars (Fairthorpes) and light aircraft.

One of his Darkest hours after the war came on March 12, 1950, when an Aircraft operated on charter by his Airline 'Fairflight' crashed at Llandow in Wales. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llandow_air_disaster

Bennett became one of the shortest-serving Members of Parliament (MPs) of the 20th century when he was elected at a by-election in 1945 as Liberal MP for Middlesbrough West. He was defeated soon afterwards in the 1945 general election — his parliamentary career having lasted all of 73 days. Attempts to return to the House of Commons for Croydon North at a by-election in 1948 and in Norwich North at the 1950 general election were unsuccessful. A later attempt at the 1967 Nuneaton by-election, standing for the obscure National Party, resulted in his losing his deposit. He continued his support for far right fringe parties during the 1970s as a patron of the National Independence Party.

In 1958 an autobiography entitled Pathfinder detailing his experiences throughout the war was published by Frederick Muller Ltd.

Don Bennett died at the age of 76 on Battle of Britain Day: 15 September 1986.