Russell Frederick Leggitt

A Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Russell died on 12th of May 1944 aged 20. 

Russell was born at Lowestoft on 18 May 1923, a son of Russell and Violet Rosanna Leggitt. By 1939 Russell’s father had died and he lived with his mother at 12 Trafalgar Street and Russell worked as a newsboy for W.H. Smith. 

Russell joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve after June 1941. In 1944 he was a Flight Engineer serving with 9 Squadron based at Bardney, Lincolnshire. 

On 12 May Russell was a member of the crew of a Lancaster III bomber, number ND951 WS-Z, that took part in a raid on Leopoldsburg army camp. The aircraft was shot down by a night-fighter at Wilsele, Belgium, just north of Leuven. 

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass