Toowoomba - Air Vice Marshal Donald Clifford T Bennett
Sunday, 8 September 2002
At Toowoomba airport a stone honouring Air Vice Marshal Donald Clifford T Bennett, founder of the Path Finder Force, Royal Air Force, was unveiled on 14th September 1987 by Mayor Clive Berghofer.
Others involved in its construction were the RAAF Association Toowoomba Branch and the Path Finder Force Association in Australia. That day would have been Don Bennett’s 77th birthday, and was the eve of the first anniversary of his death in England on 15th September 1986.
An Amberley F111 flew low in salute during the ceremony. On the same day the Pathfinder Corner was officially opened at the Royal Air Force Hendon Museum in England and his widow, Mrs Ly Bennett, sent greetings from there. The Path Finders were a very special group of courageous airmen who flew Mosquito planes and dropped flares from a low altitude ahead of allied bombers over Germany to illuminate the area. This turned the war tide in favour of RAF Bomber Command. Needless to say it was extremely dangerous work.
Air Vice Marshal Bennett was born in Toowoomba in 1910 and attended Toowoomba Prep School. He lived in a home at the corner of Russell and West Streets, Toowoomba, the current site of the Salvation Army citadel. He was an outstanding aviation pioneer, pilot, navigator, wireless operator and engineer. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1930, transferring to the Royal Air Force from 1931 to 1935.
In 1936 he joined Imperial Airways and piloted Mercury, a Short Mayo seaplane, on record non stop flights from Iceland to Canada, and Scotland to South Africa. He still holds the long distance record for seaplanes for the latter flight of 9,650 miles in 42 hours.
In 1938 and 1946 he was awarded the Oswald Watt Medal. He co-founded the Atlantic Ferry Organisation, rejoined the RAF in 1941, and was Air Officer Commanding Path Finder Force from 1942 to 1945. Don was the youngest officer promoted to Air Vice Marshal in 1943. His awards include Commander of the British Empire, CBE, and Distinguished Service Order, DSO.
After the war Don wrote several books including his autobiography, Pathfinder. Those visiting the Caloundra Air Museum will notice it is on Pathfinder Drive. Toowoomba should be justifiably proud of its distinguished airman, Air Vice Marshal Donald Bennett.
[This material was put together by TREVOR and SHIRLEY McIVOR of Toowoomba]
http://www.abc.net.au/southqld/stories/s670064.htm
