Michael Renaut (29 September 1920 – 31 January 1964) was a RAF pilot and author. In August 1940 he joined the RAF as a bomber pilot. He was posted to No. 78 Squadron RAF (July 1941), then to No. 76 Squadron RAF and finally to No. 171 Squadron RAF in No. 100 Group RAF, ending his career as Wing Commander. He was the first to drop an 8,000 lbs bomb over Germany during a raid over Essen on the night of 10 April 1942. He won a Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) and a Distinguished Flying Cross (United States). He was married to Yvonne Renaut and had two children Alan and Alison.