The Royal Air Forces Association is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of RAF veteran and Association member Alan Kennett at the age of 102.
LAC Alan Kennett enlisted in the Royal Air Force in October 1942 at just 18 years old. After initial kitting at RAF Penarth, he moved to North Shore, Blackpool, where drill on the promenade and physical training on the beach prepared him for the demands of wartime service. Upon completing his technical training, Alan was posted to several bases across the South of England as preparations intensified for Operation Overlord and the Allied invasion of mainland Europe.
On 23 June 1944, Alan boarded a landing craft bound for the Normandy coast. The journey was perilous: the craft grounded on a sandbank and was forced to wait for the rising tide while shellfire erupted around them during the battle to liberate Caen. Once ashore, Alan’s unit established the temporary airfield B11 to receive Spitfires providing vital air cover for the advancing Allied forces. During pre‑sortie checks he narrowly escaped injury when a neighbouring aircraft accidentally jettisoned two 250‑lb bombs — both of which, fortunately, failed to detonate.
In the months that followed, Alan’s unit advanced through Northern France, into Belgium, and then Holland, maintaining air support despite persistent German resistance and regular artillery fire. After Operation Market Garden, they travelled along the infamous “Hell’s Highway,” establishing the most forward airstrip of the operation at Grave, near the bridge over the River Maas. Their position came under sustained attack from ME 262s — the world’s first operational jet‑powered fighter aircraft — resulting in several casualties.
In early 1945, the unit moved into Germany, taking over the former Luftwaffe base at Celle. It was during this period that the nearby Bergen‑Belsen concentration camp was liberated. Personnel from Alan’s unit visited the camp to provide medical assistance to survivors, witnessing first‑hand the horrors uncovered there.
After returning home following the end of the war, he was posted to Norway where his unit shared an airfield with the Lutwaffe, who were waiting to be de-commissioned. In recognition of his role in the liberation of France, he was awarded the Legion of Honour, the nation’s highest distinction.
Alan returned to civilian life in Sutton Coldfield, where he lived until his recent passing. He worked in the motor trade in research and development and tested cars all over the world.
