208458 Sgt. Edward Dennis Leamy Royal Air Force 144 Squadron from:Canterbury, Kent (d.11th July 1940) Edward Leamy was one of four children of Michael Edward Leamy of Bradford, Yorkshire, and Annie Louise Croucher of Frittenden, Kent and he was living with his parents in Canterbury, Kent, at the start of the war. He was my third cousin, once removed.
He was a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner on Handley Page Hampden P4366 of
144 Squadron, that was based at Hemswell, Lincolnshire, at the time and is listed in Larry Donnelly's "The Other Few". P4366 was taking part in a raid on Wanne-Eikel, which was the largest marshalling yard in the central Ruhr area, when it was hit by Flak and crashed near Kessel, in Holland. They were some 80 kilometers from their target but it is unclear whether they were shot down on their way in or on their way back.The crew of four were all killed and are buried alongside each other in Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen, some 60 km from the crash site.
The crew were
- Pilot Officer Ian Milne Hossack, aged 19, from Otford, Kent
- Sergeant Eric Basil Hartley France, the Observer, aged 24, from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent.
- Sergeant Edward Dennis Leamy, a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner, aged 20, from Canterbury, Kent.
- Sergeant Clarence Rose, a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. Although no accurate details have been traced it seems probable that Sergeant Rose was aged 20 and from Rotherham, Yorkshire.
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