Leonard Charles George Mayhew

A Flight Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Leonard died on 25th of June 1944 aged 29. 

Leonard was born at Oulton Broad on 31 July 1914, a son of Leonard and Edith Emma Mayhew. In 1921 his family lived at 31 Sycamore Avenue. 

On 6 January 1935 Leonard married Margaret Caroline Beamish at Saint Michael’s Church, Oulton Broad. Leonard was a waterman living at 68 Sycamore Avenue and Margaret was a cook living at Hall Road. By 1939 they were living at Llanberis, Broad Road, and Leonard was a yacht steward. Margaret remarried in 1947. 

Leonard enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve between September 1939 and February 1940. He was Mentioned in Despatches on 14 January 1944.

In June 1944 Leonard was a Flight Engineer serving with 97 Squadron, based at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. 
On 25 June Leonard was a member of the crew of a Lancaster III bomber, number NE124 OF-J, that took part in a raid on a Noball (V-1 Rocket) site at Prouville. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter near Marles-sur-Canche. Four of the crew survived and one evaded capture. 

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass