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Louis Bennett, Jr. became World War I's 12th ranked American flying ace. In his brief, meteoric career, he scored three aircraft and nine balloons in ten days, described by one author as "undoubtedly, one of the most brilliant records of the air war".
Louis Bennett, Jr. was born 22 September 1894 in Weston, West Virginia, son of Louis Bennett and Sallie Maxwell Bennett. It was a West Virginia family of wealth and prominence. Growing up in Weston, he was described as bright, likeable, and headstrong, with mechanical inclinations. He had his own car and motorcycle when 12 years old, and is said to have frequently raised the dust on his town's dirt streets with best friend Paul Hoskins.
He attended Cutler and St. Luke's preparatory schools in Pennsylvania, entering Yale University in 1913. He was apparently active in athletics and popular with women.
Interested in early aviation, Louis took pilot training from the Burgess Company at Marblehead, Massachusetts. In 1917 the Governor of West Virginia approved Louis Bennett's idea of a West Virginia Flying Corps, with intent of joining the unit to the United States Air Service. Refused by the US Army, the unit disbanded. Impatient to join the air war, Louis decided to join the British Royal Flying Corps, departing for Toronto on 5 October 1917 for training. Receiving his commission on 21 January 1918, he sailed for England.
Arriving in London on 25 February, he was sent to Flying School, receiving his Graduation Certificate on 6 March. Stationed to No. 90 Squadron, a Home Defense unit of little action, Bennett became impatient and sought transfer to a fighting squadron on the Western Front. His efforts rewarded, Louis received assignment to No. 40 Squadron at Bryas on 21 July 1918, and flew his first offensive patrol on 30 July.
The fireworks really began on 15 August when Bennett began his impressive string of victories. After killing a German balloon on the 17th, Bennett caught "balloon fever". "He (Bennett) immediately set out to down every captive balloon in the area and we were all talking about it in the squadron ... each of us knew he was expendable". With his solo destruction of four balloons on 19 August, Louis Bennett had become an ace in the space of only four days!
His final sortie on the 24th cost the enemy two balloons before anti-aircraft brought his machine down in flames. Apparently the Germans so respected his courage that they burned their hands pulling him out of his burning aircraft. He died in a German field hospital at Wavrin, with burns from waist to neck, a head wound, and a broken leg, calling for his parents.
Historical information for this biography was obtained from: Williams, George H. "Louis Bennett, Jr.; No. 40 Squadron, RFC/RAF,"
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Sallie Bennett Papers regarding World War I Flying Ace Louis Bennett, Jr., A&M 1590, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Personal correspondence, legal and financial papers, diary, and newspaper clippings of Mrs. Sallie Maxwell Bennett of Weston, wife of Louis Bennett, Sr., the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 1908. The collection concerns the career of her son, Louis Bennett, Jr., particularly his student days at Yale, his pioneer efforts to organize the West Virginia Flying Corps, his service in the Royal Air Force [RAF], and his subsequent death in World War I. Additional topics include Mrs. Bennett's effort to memorialize her son, family affairs, and a South American trip in 1915. Correspondents include Louis Bennett, Sr. and Jr., and John W. Davis.
See also C619 of Oral History Sound Archives, which contains one audio cassette and typed transcript of an interview with David B. McKinley by Wayne Sheets regarding the life and times of Sallie Maxwell Bennett. Louis Bennett, Jr. and Agra are discussed as well.
"Weston Legionnaire" (These publications can be found in the pamphlet collection, under "P7253".):
June 1923; Vol. 1, No. 6
July 1923; Vol. 1, No. 7
October 1923; Vol. 1, No. 10
November 1923; Vol. 1, No. 11
March 1924; Vol. 2, No. 3
February 1925; Vol. 3, No. 2
November 1926; Vol. 4, No. 11
"Arrow Head Tribe, LSA [Lone Scouts of America]"; Weston, WV (These publications can be found in the pamphlet collection, under "P7459".):
April 1, 1920; Vol. 1, No. 1
May 1920; Vol. 2 [sic]
June 1920; Vol. 3 [sic]
The original photographs in the RAF Wallet have been moved to separate storage; they can be viewed in West Virginia History OnView by searching for "1590" combined with "wallet"; a facsimile set of all of these photographs have been inserted into box 9, folder 4.
Most of the original print photographs documenting Lt. Louis Bennett and his involvement in WWI have been moved to separate storage; they can be viewed in West Virginia History OnView by searching for "1590"; a facsimile set has been inserted into box 9, folder 5.
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