File:Alan Leach 1.jpg

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English: Captain Alan Leach RAF PO 185864 (Pilot) 1939 - 1945

Alan Leach was born in Coppull 25th March 1921 the eldest son of Sylvester and Emma. He was a Pilot Officer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve at the age of 17 and a member of 51 squadron. He received his wings at the age of nineteen.

The aircraft he was flying on 5th January 1945 was a Halifax. It took off from RAF Snaith at 16.47 hours, detailed to bomb the rail network at Hannover, Germany. This was the largest raid on the city since 1943 with 664 aircraft taking part - 14 Mosquitoes, 340 Halifaxes and 310 Lancasters. The bombing was reported as widespread over the city with 3,605 apartments/flats destroyed, 250 people killed on the ground. The fatalities included 229 foreigners or prisoners of war. Over 2,000 tons of bombs were dropped. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Shot down at 19.22hrs. "possibly" by Luftwaffe pilot Hptm. Hermann Greiner, Kommander of IV.NJG1, although Flak Position 8 also claimed, it crashed 19.27 in Stockener Street, Leinhausen- Soeckern. He and five of the crew were killed and are buried in Hannover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany.

  • Aircraft Type: Halifax
  • Serial number: LV 952
  • Radio call sign: MH – F
  • Unit: ATTD 51 SQN RAF

Crew:

  • RAF PO 185864 Captain A. Leach (Pilot): RAF Sgt P Neale (Flight Engineer)
  • RAF Flt Sgt J S Staples (Navigator): RAF Flt Sgt W G Bowen (Air Bomber)
  • RAAF 403167 PO Wilson L A (Wireless Operator Air): RAF Flt Sgt W M Burton (Air Gunner)
  • The surviving crew member was RAF Sgt D E F Thomsett (Air Gunner)

He received the following medals:

Alan Leach was buried in Hannover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany (Grave 2,F,7-7A).[1]
Date between 1939 and 1945
date QS:P,+1950-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1939-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1945-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
Source Own work
Author Alaneccie
  1. ↑ The War Graves Photographic Project

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current05:29, 22 December 2011Thumbnail for version as of 05:29, 22 December 2011928 × 1,488 (217 KB)Ras67 (talk | contribs)losslessly cropped with Jpegcrop
09:55, 21 December 2011Thumbnail for version as of 09:55, 21 December 2011989 × 1,569 (252 KB)Alaneccie (talk | contribs)

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