International Bomber Command Centre Ticket Portal

Relentless Skies - The Most Efficient Airman

Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett CB CBE DSO FRAeS is best known as the Australian commander of the Royal Air Force's elite Path Finder Force in the Second World War. His drive, determination and passion for excellence saw him play a principal role in prosecuting the bombing campaign against Nazi Germany.
Yet, the full story of his life has never been comprehensively explored. Few can recount his exploits as a pioneering aviator, or know why he was regarded as the most technically brilliant airman of his generation. Fewer still know the man's background, interests, passions and obsessions, or what drove him to his many aviation achievements.

Operation Exodus - the forgotten story of The Long March and the world’s largest airlift of people - Thursday 3rd April 2025 18.30

During nine weeks at the end of the Second World War in Europe in early 1945 more than 354,000 British, Commonwealth, and Allied former Prisoners of War (POWs) were repatriated by air in what was – and still is – the world's largest airlift of people.

The airlift involved many types of aircraft flown by crews from the RAF, RAAF, RCAF, USAAF, Polish Air Force, and French Air Force, a key element being the 72,319 former POWs flown by Lancasters of Bomber Command in Operation Exodus.

On what will be the 80th anniversary, aviation historian Mike Ingham recounts in this illustrated presentation the little known story of the forced evacuation of POWs on treks of 500 miles on foot, liberation, flights out of Germany, and eventual return home to England by air.

The evening starts with a delicious hot supper in The Hub Café at 18.30.

IBCC Lecture and Supper Series: The Battle of Britain: Dowding vs Bader vs Luftwaffe. - Thursday 9th October 2025 6.30pm

From the middle of the 1930’s it was becoming increasingly obvious that both Germany and Japan were building their military strength and capability. Gross underinvestment and fighting between different arms of the UK’s armed forces meant that we were hugely underprepared for what would become a completely new type of conflict. New technology was rapidly evolving but slowly getting into service. How should this technology be used? How should the new but very scarce aircraft be used? Did we have enough pilots being trained? A deeply political and messy battle was fought between factions within the RAF and UK Government while the German Luftwaffe did its best to destroy the RAF.

As well as being a member at MAVC, Simon Kemp works full time in IT, writing software for a variety of clients in various industries. Past software systems written for Qinetiq and Airbus among others, he’s also designed and built computer hardware including free standing kiosk units for leisure industry clients and microcontroller board computer systems for security and display purposes. A lifelong fascination with speed and flight and, in particular, aviation in World War II, has kept his evening and weekends fully occupied!

The evening starts with a delicious hot supper in The Hub Café at 18.30.

‘To Force the Enemy Off the Sea’ -  RAF Coastal Command’s North Coates Strike Wing 1943-45

 Thursday 6th November 2025, 18.30

This lecture examines the important and hard-fought but little-known anti-shipping campaign successfully conducted by Coastal Command’s North Coates Strike Wing from early 1943 onwards.

After three years of war, heavily armed German shipping convoys were still sailing down the North Sea into Rotterdam, carrying supplies of high-grade Swedish iron ore destined for the armaments factories of the Ruhr. With great courage the “Cinderella Boys” of RAF Coastal Command had attempted to curtail this enemy supply line, but with limited success and while incurring heavy losses.