LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Leslie Allen LEEMING
Service No: 400992
Born: Melbourne VIC, 14 February 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1940
Unit: No. 452 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft A58-524), Morotai, 18 January 1945, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie Richard and Jessie Dougall Leeming; husband of Zoe Bettina Leeming, of Elwood, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brighton VIC
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 18 January 1945, Spitfire A58-524 accompanied by Squadron Leader Louis Thomas Spence DFC (O11315) (Commanding Officer No. 452 Squadron) (Killed on Air Operations: 9 September 1950 in Korea) in another Spitfire, took off at 2000 hours to carry out a night patrol. At approximately 2105 hours Flight Lieutenant Leeming called on the radio to say that he would have to land as his engine was not functioning properly. At 2110 hours, Squadron Leader Birch called Leeming to ascertain his position which was 4,000 feet over base. A few minuted later, Squadron Leader Birch saw the aircraft crash at the west end of the Pitoe airstrip. The aircraft had hit a bank ten yards short of the strip when it was making a dead stick approach and it crashed in flames killing Flight Lieutenant Leeming.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/664; A9845, 124
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002