Edward Derek Walter Leaf

A Lieutenant with Motor Gun Boat 444, Edward died on 15th of February 1944 aged 25. 

Edward was born on 29 June 1918 at Heatherside House, Camberley, Surrey, a son of Lieutenant Charles Symonds Leaf, Royal Marines, and the Hon. Mrs. Catherine Blanche Leaf. By 1943 Edward’s parents lived at The Manor House, Freckenham, Bury St. Edmunds. 

Edward was a pupil at Marlborough and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1937 he took part in an expedition to Ellesmere Land and Baffin Island, and in 1939. Edward was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.  
In June 1941 Edward married Doreen Laurie Orr, of Herringfleet, Suffolk, at Fylde, Lancashire. Doreen remarried in 1946.

Edward was commissioned in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 23 February 1937 and was mobilised when the war began. In April 1941 he joined Motor Gun Boat 61 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, London Gazette 19 August 1941, for actions with E-Boats in April and June 1941. In September 1941 Edward joined the 7th Motor Gun Boat Flotilla at H.M.S. Minos II and was later based at H.M.S. Mantis in Lowestoft. 

In June 1942 Edward took command of Motor Gun Boat 91. He was Mentioned in Despatches, London Gazette 15 September 1942, for engaging an enemy convoy and escort on 30 June 1942. In July 1943 he took command of Motor Gun Boat 126 and then Motor Gun Boat 444. He was awarded a bar to the Distinguished Service Cross, London Gazette 2 May 1944, for damaging E-Boats at The Nore on 4 February 1944. 

During the night of 14-15 February 1944 Edward’s flotilla engaged German E-Boats that had been laying mines south of Great Yarmouth. Edward’s flotilla were engaged by additional German E-Boats and Motor Gun Boat 444 was hit and Edward killed.  

See: undyingmemory.net/Freckenham/leaf derek.html