I was always told that my Great Uncle Leonard Sidney Davies, born 1915, was a pilot during the war and that he crashed in Africa and was killed.
Doing some family research recently I decided to look into this.
I discovered that the aircrash involved was this one.
ASN Aircraft accident 29-NOV-1944 Lockheed 18-10 Lodestar G-AGBW
I think he was part of the RAFVR seconded to the recently formed BOAC and here he is, I believe, not long before he was killed.
There was family tradition that he started off as a fighter pilot, and it is this
I am trying to get info on.
The London Gazette issue 35127 P.8 tells me L.S.Davies was granted temporary commission as P/O for the duration on 7th March 1941. It gives two service numbers, 61943 and 741331. I presume the former is his new P/O number.
Flight Global Archive June 12th 1941 tells me P/O 61943 Davies was wounded
on active service. My mother remembers visiting him as a young child at his house in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, where he was "in bed with a very poorly leg".
I believe this was his period of recuperation from the wound he received.
I would dearly love to discover where he trained as a pilot and what in what aircraft.
What his early wartime career entailed and what aircraft he flew 'in anger' as it were.
How he got his injuries, which, I believe, led to him giving up 'the sharp end' and flying (semi) civilian aircraft in wartime Africa, where he ultimately met his end. (I do know he is buried in the War Cemetery in Nairobi)
I know there are some amazingly knowledgeable people on this forum and would appreciate greatly being steered in the right direction.
Thanks
Andy