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Those known to have served at RAF Leeming during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
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Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
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Want to know more about RAF Leeming? There are:72 items tagged RAF Leeming available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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P/O Albert Charles Middleton 427 RCAF Squadron (d.25th Feb 1944)  My Uncle served with 427 RCAF Squadron at REF Leeming as an Air Gunner flying Halifax's. On the night of 25th Feb 1944 he took off from RAF Leeming at 2130 for a bobming raid on Augsburg. The crew comprised of - F/L R G Milton (Pilot),
- Sgt F C Barker,
- F/O A W Shirley RACF,
- P/O K K Hignett,
- F/O F J Thompson,
- Sgt M R Singer,
- P/O A C Middleton.
Weather on 25th Feb 1944: Cloudy with rain durning morning. Visibilty modrate to good. Of the 10 aircraft that became airborne one returned soon after take off when oil pressure on starboard outer engine seriously dropped and caused dangerous overheating. This aircraft was "R" piloted by F/S C H Coathup.
The aircraft LK759 was attacked and shot down by an ME110 flown by Hptm Hans-Karl Kamp (NJG4) and crashed at Beuren, 18km ESE of Trier. All the crew died with the exception of F/O F. J. Thompson who was thrown clear as the Halifax exploded and he spent several weeks in hospital. On his release from hospital he was interned in Camp L3, POW No 3711.
P/O Albert Charles Middleton is buried in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Plot 4 Row AA, Grave 14
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Sgt. Norman Johnston 10 Squadron. (d.27th Aug 1940) I recently came into possession of the above letter. It was sent to my wife's father, Corporal Stanley Johnston to inform him of the loss of his brother Norman Johnston of 10 Sqd Leeming. He had been shot down on a mission to bomb an aircraft factory in Northern Italy.
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Sgt. Frank Albert Charles Harris 427 Sqn. (d.21st Feb 1944) Frank Harris was my Uncle. I have recently been delving into my family history and although I had heard of him from family members I was not told where he died. With many thanks to a gentleman named John Belcher of Chippenham, Wilts I have learnt that he was killed on a mission to Stuttgart. The Halifax ZL-Y LV836 took off from Leeming at 0015 with three Canadians and four British crew but crashed approx. nine minutes later in a field one mile north west of Northallerton.
The names of the crew were:
- F/O R K Laut RCAF
- Sgt.E J Rove
- F/O W N Hegy RCAF
- P/O R W Moody RCAF
- Sgt.G H Jones
- Sgt. A F Fitton
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F/O Arthur James Freer 429 (Bison) Squadron I volunteered for aircrew service in the RAF and served with ITW Torquay followed by technical
Training at St. Athan South Wales. Commenced flying at Wombleton 1666HCU with a Canadian RCAF crew captained by F/O J.M.C (Jack) Wade DFC. The crew completed 33 ops with 429 (Bison) Squadron at Leeming Yorks in 1944.
The crew returned to Canada soon afterwards, but I was retrained as a Signals Officer and on completion was posted to the Far East. We were flown in a "Liberator" from Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire to Castel Benito (Tripoli) thence to Karachi via Cairo and Habbaniya, Iraq.
On arrival at Karachi we were told that no Signal Officers were required there but that teams were required to set up and operate RAF Post to improve the transit of Forces mail to and from the U.K. With the end of hostilities in the Far East servicemen and women were keen to return home and morale was at a very low level. Initially, I served in Bombay and in Calcutta at the time of the race problems following the partition of India and Pakistan which was very unpleasant indeed. My next posting in India was to AHQ New Delhi and finally back to Bombay and repatriation to the U.K on SS Moultan.
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Gp/Capt J G Bryans Station Commander of RAF Leeming Nov 1943 to Jun 1944
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Gp/Capt H M Carscallan Station Commander RAF Leeming Apr to Jun 1943
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Gp/Capt C R Dunlap Station Commander at RAF Leeming Jan to Apr 1943
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Gp/Capt E C Evans. Station Commander RAF Leeming May 1945 to Jul 1946
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Gp/Capt S Graham. Station Commander RAF Leeming Jan 1942 to Jan 1943
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Gp/Capt A C Hull. Station Commander RAF Leeming Apr to May 1945
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F/O Harry Arthur Lode Lindsay My father, retired in 1959 as Wing Commander Harry Arthur Lode Lindsay, RCAF. During the second world war he was Flying Officer and navigator with Six Group Bomber Command. I do not know which squadron but I do recall him being based at Leeming, Yorkshire. He passed away in 1981 but he did 75 pen sketches of the life and times of Bomber Command (detailed and all 5" X 7") which he mailed home to my mother. I still have all of these original sketches. Something should be done to publish and protect them. Also I have a photo album he had with perhaps 50 plus photos mostly air shots taken during the war. These too should be preserved somewhere.
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Gp/Capt J B Millward Station Commander RAF Leeming Oct 1944 to Apr 1945
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Gp/Capt W F M Newson Station Commander RAF Leeming Jun to Oct 1944
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Gp/Capt J L Plant Station Commander RAF Leeming Jun to Nov 1943
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Gp/Capt W E Staton. Station Commander RAF Leeming June 1940 to Jul 1941
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Wg/Cdr K E Ward. Station Commander RAF Leeming to June 1940
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Fl/Sgt. Victor Alan Garland 429 Bison Squadron Victor Garland joined up in 1943 to Royal Air Force, trained in St Athans, Wales then transferred to a Canadian squadron, 429 Bison Squadron stationed in Leeming, Yorkshire.
The other Crew members were all Canadian: -
Pilot Officer Doug Williams,
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Wireless operator, Don Schurman,
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Navigator, Wesley Milne,
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Bomb, Aimer Jack Horner.
He initially flew Halifaxes as Flight Engineer, then went through the Heavy Conversion Unit at Wombleton or Honeybourne and was then flying Lancasters. After VE day the Canadians left and Victor was involved in bomb dispersal in the North Sea and repatriation of Prisoners of War from Belgium. He met and married Emilia Occardi, a Waaf who served on station alongside her twin Marie. He died in 2006.
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Sgt. Peter William Lindsay Strachan 77 Squadron (d.27th February 1942) In September 1938 Peter Strachan joined the RAF to train as an air observer. He did not succeed at this nor as a wireless operator, but stayed in the RAF as an electrician. From July to August 1942 he trained as an air gunner and was posted to 77 Squadron at Leeming on 8th October 1941. He was married on 22nd December 1941.
He flew on only two operations as a Rear Gunner on a Whitley the first to attack Mannheim on 11th February 1942 and the second on 27th February 1942.
On 27th February 1942, 33 aircraft of mixed types were tasked to find and bomb the Cruiser Scharnhorst which was believed to be at Wilhelmhaven. The operation was a failure due to cloud over the target sight.
Three aircraft were lost, all from 77 Squadron. It is known that two were shot by night fighters. Peter's took off and was never heard of again. The crew were presumed dead six months later. Their names are inscribed on the Runnymede Memorial.
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Cpl Tom Ellis 540 Squadron Tom Ellis was stationed throughout the UK and Europe during his service as a Metrologist in the RAF. Bases included: Gibraltar, Marston Moor, Leeming, Benson and Coulomier with 540 Squadron. VE Day was spent in Paris with Wing Cdr Ball and others from the Squadron.
On leaving the RAF in 1946, he attended Leeds University where he achieved a BA (Hon) and went into teaching. Retiring as Headteacher of a large comprehensive school in Scunthorpe in 1985. Enjoying a quiet retirement, he is a keen aircraft historian and prodigious reader of aircraft history books.
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Flt.Sgt. Howard Herbert "Bud" Watson 427 (Lion) Squadron Howard Watson enlisted in the Air Force after turning 18. He was discharged in July 1945. Bud talked about his training at Mont Joli, Quebec, before shipping to England as a member of the 427 Lion Squadron. I believe he was stationed at Leeming. He flew in a Lancaster as a rear air gunner and often mentioned how cold it was when they were in the air, even though they were all bundled up in their flight suits.
When a Lancaster became available at the Air Museum in Hamilton, he so wanted to take a flight in it but, unfortunately, never had the opportunity. Sadly, Bud passed away in 2014, in his 89th year, due to an accident.
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Flt.Sgt. Herbert Ingle Austin 429 Squadron (d.23rd April 1944) Flight Sergeant (Wireless Op./Air Gunner) Bert Austin was the Son of Herbert and Emily Ingle Austin, husband of Olive Austin of Halton, Yorkshire.
He was 39 years old and is buried in the Herkingen General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands.
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F/O. Howard Clugston "Howie" Wright 427 Squadron (d.29th Jul 1944) Flying Officer Howard Wright served with No 427 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force based at Royal Air Force Leeming. He flew Handley Page Halifax Mk V aircraft and was lost, killed in action, in raid over Hamburg, pn the 28th/29th of July 1944.
He is buried in Ohlsdorf (Hamburg) Cemetery.
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P/O. Doug Williams 429 (Bison) Squadron Victor Garland joined up in 1943 to Royal Air Force, trained in St Athans, Wales then transferred to a Canadian squadron, 429 (Bison) Squadron stationed in Leeming, Yorkshire.
Other Crew members were all Canadian,
Pilot Officer Doug Williams,
Wireless operator Don Schurman,
Navigator Wesley Milne and
Bomb Aimer Jack Horner.
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Don Schurman 429 (Bison) Squadron Wireless operator Don Schurman flew with 429 (Bison) Squadron
stationed in Leeming, Yorkshire.
His fellow Crew members were
Victor Garland, Doug Williams,
Navigator Wesley Milne and
Bomb Aimer Jack Horner.
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Wesley Milne 429 (Bison) Squadron Navigator Wesley Milne flew with Doug Williams, Don Schurman, Victor Garland and Jack Horner from Leeming, Yorkshire with 429 (Bison) Squadron.
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Jack Horner 429 (Bison) Squadron Bomb Aimer Jack Horner flew from RAF Leeming with 429 (Bison) Squadron, his crew mates were Doug Williams, Don Schurman, Wesley Milne and Victor Garland
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Flt.Sgt. John Hugh MacEachern 429 (Bison) Squadron John MacEachern left via Pier 21 as a young man from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia and as a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force on his way to England during World War II.
He was eventually stationed at Leeming with the 429 Bison Squadron where he assumed the position of rear-gunner on the Halifax bombers.
He also returned home via Pier 21 after a horrific accident which occurred in Leeming when a plane his crew borrowed from the 427 squadron (it was a Halifax III Rg-347 coded ZL-P we believe?) blew a tire at take-off on 27th of February 1945. The full complement of bombs and gasoline on board to be used for their mission resulted in a devastating explosion. John was the only crew member to survive and with all his injuries and burns it was considered a miracle that he himself survived.
He returned home to Nova Scotia through Pier 21 in a full body cast due to a broken neck and tried his very best to deal with his physical injuries, burns and the emotional scars left from losing his dear friends.
John eventually married Mary Christine Mac Donald, also from Glace Bay and they raised eight children together. John sadly passed away on April 14, 2001. He is dearly missed by family and friends. His crew members who died that February day and second family as he referred to them were,
- F/O Richard M. Scott, Pilot, from Lacombe Alberta
- F/O Fred Fisher, Flight Engineer, Welland, Ont.
- F/O S. Carson, Navigator, Toronto, Ont.
- F/O K.F. Whitehouse, Bomb Aimer, Toronto, Ont.
- P/O A. Mackie, Wireless Operator, Toronto, Ont.
- F/Sgt M.J. Brewer, Mid-Upper Gunner, Kingman, Alberta
We should never forget the extraordinary sacrifices that John and his crew made for us all.
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F/Sgt. Richard Inglis Flight Sergeant Dick Inglis flew bombing missions in Halifax bombers as air crew and flight engineer with Canadian Squadrons based near Northallerton in Yorkshire and at St Athan in Wales.
He also went on reconnaissance trips over Europe.
By March 1947 the Canadians had all been repatriated and Warrant Officer Richard Inglis became airfield controller at Morton-in-the-Marsh. Later in 1947 he was was demobbed and returned home. We had photographs until we had a fire and they were destroyed.
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