Ronald William LEPPARD (201551), Royal Air Force

[JAVELINBOY]

Sad news from my parents this morning reporting the passing of their neighbor Ron Leppard during the night at his home in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Ron started his Air Force career as a Boy Entrant at Halton and maintained an upwardly career progression in the engineering branch throughout his service. Ron was awarded an OBE in the 1975 New Year Honours List when serving as a Wing Commander. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46444/supplement/7/data.pdf
Post RAF service Ron worked for The British Standards Institute.
Ron is survived by his daughter Susan.

Funeral arrangements will be posted when known.
Update on Funeral arrangements
Ron's funeral will take place at Worcester Crematorium on Tuesday 2nd January 2018 at 1.45pm
Cemetery and Crematorium Office
Worcester Crematorium
Astwood Cemetery
Tintern Avenue
Worcester, WR3 8HA
https://www.worcester.gov.uk/astwood-cemetery-crematorium

A Memorial Service is to be arranged on a future date, it will be held at Christ Church, Avenue Road, Malvern Worcestershire WR14 3AY
http://christchurch-malvern.org.uk/

[ricardian]

Sad news from my parents this morning reporting the passing of their neighbor Ron Leppard during the night at his home in Malvern, Worcestershire.
Ron started his Air Force career as a Boy Entrant at Halton and maintained an upwardly career progression in the engineering branch throughout his service. Ron was awarded an OBE in the 1975 New Year Honours List when serving as a Wing Commander. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46444/supplement/7/data.pdf
Post RAF service Ron worked for The British Standards Institute.
Ron is survived by his daughter Susan.
Funeral arrangements will be posted when known.

Presumably he was a Boy Entrant pre-WW2, his service number does not resemble those allocated to post-WW2 Boy Entrants.

[JAVELINBOY]

ricardian I believe your correct with regard to Ron's service number being pre war. At time of passing he was in his ninety's.
From chats I had with him he had a number of appointments during his long career, mostly engineering based but as far as I recollect he did serve as Air Attache at the Paris Embassy. I believe he retired as a Group Captain.

[roving]

Presumably he was a Boy Entrant pre-WW2, his service number does not resemble those allocated to post-WW2 Boy Entrants.

My dad had three different RAF services numbers.

(1) When enlisting at Padgate in 1939.

(2) When Commissioned.

(3) When transferring to the Aux Air Force in 1947 -- a number he retained when he returned to the active list in 1951 and after retirement as a VR(T).

If he was commissioned in WWII he would have been issued a new number.

[JAVELINBOY]

Update on Funeral arrangements
Ron's funeral will take place at Worcester Crematorium on Tuesday 2nd January 2018 at 1.45pm
Cemetery and Crematorium Office
Worcester Crematorium
Astwood Cemetery
Tintern Avenue
Worcester, WR3 8HA
https://www.worcester.gov.uk/astwood...ry-crematorium (https://www.worcester.gov.uk/astwood-cemetery-crematorium)

A Memorial Service is to be arranged on a future date, it will be held at Christ Church, Avenue Road, Malvern Worcestershire WR14 3AY
Home | christchurch-malvern (http://christchurch-malvern.org.uk/)

A further update will be posted when the Memorial Service is arranged.

[JAVELINBOY]

Group Captain Ronald Leppard OBE
Ron's funeral attended today at Worcester Crematorium, to say our farewells. Susan and David Ron's daughter and son were in attendance with Ron's Grandchildren.
Susan and David spoke about Ron's life and in particular his RAF service.
Ron joined the RAF aged 19 in 1940, following training he was posted to a New Zealand Squadron equipped with Spitfires as ground crew. As the war went on he trained in communications and found himself posted to an anti aircraft battery on the South coast. He continued in the RAF post war and was commissioned, served in Singapore and the far east with Sunderland's. Ron was posted to SHAPE and based in Paris during the 1950/1960's. Back in the UK in the 1960's he continued in the engineering branch where he managed some interesting project work. This line of work brought him to the Radar Research Establishment at Malvern where he worked on counter measures that were to equip the Nimrod fleet. Ron was awarded his OBE as a result of the work carried out on this project. Ron ended his career after 38 years service heading up RAF training command.
Ron's wife Marjorie pre deceased him in the year 2000.

It is the family's intentions to hold a memorial service for Ron during the Springtime at Christ Church, Avenue Road Malvern. Date will be published when known.