After becoming a flight lieutenant in the British Royal Air Force,
Bates wrote stories and novels about the heroism of the R.A.F. pilots.
His many adventure novels were popular, and he was often described by
reviewers as a writer of great "sensitivity." He was the author of
fifty books, including novels, short stories, and autobiography, often
writing about the English countryside. He was made a Companion of the
British Empire six months before he died.