In 1952, during Boys service were given 'Air Experience' flights at Lynham. The 1st two were in Anson's, the 3rd in a Hastings. We were surprised to see the rear facing seats and were informed of the Benina story.

Then there was the 1960 none-accident at Gan, where everyone survived.

I just accepted that rear facing seats are better.

BA Vickers Viscounts had some rear facing seats as late as 1982. These were in the over wing position. In those far off days before seat being allocated, I always made a dash to get one of them.:ok:

Hastings TG613 ditched in the Med on 22nd July 1953 after that accident it was considered safer for all RAF Pax A/C to be fitted with rear facing seats, the story is told here Splashdown in the Mediterranean of Hastings TG613

Hastings TG574 at Benina, the story is told here from someone that was on board Hastings Bangs and Prangs and Splashes and Crashes approx half way down the page

FWIW a quick poll at a couple of other forums I frequent about if people wanted forwards or rearwards-facing seats in an airliner.

Early days yet, but in the car forum with six octas of smarties it's 3:1 for forward seats, and in the computer forum with seven octas of morons it's slightly less than that.
I'll update if that changes significantly.

Having had experience of a rear facing seat prang, along with many others I have met along the way in the past ten years, I think that I would opt for rear rather than forward facing and after 'three bounces' on the oggin the seats also stayed in place thanks to that design and the fitting by the Air Movements guys:)

The car forum is now a little over 5:1 in favour of forwards facing seats, the morons at the computer forum added more options to the poll so it's now useless.