Trafford

LL.B. History Tripos - Magdalene College, Cambridge.    His brother was one
of those lost on Mount Everest.

Together with his wife Doris Jean, he was killed in an aircraft accident -
buried in the town where the wreckage of the aircraft was eventually found
on 15/06/1945.   Another Altrincham Airman, Cpl John Burgess, died with
him.   Reported as being missing in the 24/11/1944 edition of the local
newspaper.

Commemorated on a private plaque in S.S. Wilfred & Mary ChurchYard,
Mobberley.

Trafford Leigh-Mallory, the son of a vicar, was born in Mobberley,
Cheshire, on 11th July, 1892. On the outbreak of the First World War in
1914 he volunteered to join the Lancaster Fusiliers.  While serving with
the British Army Leigh-Mallory was wounded at Ypres in 1915. After
recovering he joined the Royal Flying Corps in July, 1916. He was mentioned
in dispatches several times and was awarded the Distinguished Flying
Cross.

After the war Leigh-Mallory began a legal career but in 1919 he returned to
the recently created Royal Air Force. Promoted to the rank of squadron
leader he specialized in the field of air-ground cooperation. 

In 1931 Leigh-Mallory became deputy director of staff studies in the Air
Ministry and commander of No. 2 Flying School. He also served as a senior
staff officer in Iraq before becoming commander of No. 12 Fighter Group
from its HQ at Watnall, Nottinghamshire in 1937.   He advocated the use of
the "Big Wing" of first three squadrons of aircraft, then five squadrons
under the leadership of Squadron Leader Douglas Bader.

During the Battle of Britain Leigh-Mallory came into conflict with Vice
Marshal Keith Park, the commander of No. 11 Fighter Group. Park, who was
responsible for the main approaches south-east of London, took the brunt of
the early attacks by the Luftwaffe. Park complained that No. 12 Fighter
Group should have done more to protect the air bases in his area instead of
going off hunting for German planes to shoot down.

Leigh-Mallory was also critical of the tactics of Park and Hugh Dowding,
head of Fighter Command. He took the view that RAF fighters should be sent
out to meet the German planes before they reached Britain. Park and Dowding
rejected this strategy as being too dangerous and argued it would increase
the number of pilots being killed.
Air Chief Marshal Charles Portal, the new chief of the air staff, agreed
with Leigh-Mallory, and in November 1941, removed Keith Park and Hugh
Dowding from their posts. Leigh-Mallory had the added satisfaction of
taking over from Park as commander of No. 11 Fighter Group. 

In November, 1942, Leigh-Mollary replaced Sholto Douglas as head of Fighter
Command. He was knighted in January, 1943 and later that year became
commander of the Allied Expeditionary Air Forces for the proposed Normandy
invasion. His attempts to control the strategic bombing campaign leading up
to the invasion brought him into conflict with Arthur Harris and Carl
Spaatz. After pressure from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Leigh-Mallory was
forced to resign.

Leigh-Mallory was now appointed Allied Air Commander-in-Chief South East
Asia,  Together with his wife who was accompanying him, Trafford
Leigh-Mallory was killed on his way to Burma when the aircraft he was
travelling in crashed on 14th November, 1944.

A memorial ceremony was held in Le Rivier d'Allemont on Friday 14th
November 2014, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the crash there of
Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford LEIGH-MALLORY's Avro York MW 126 on the
14th November 1944.  Seven serving RAF officers attended the event. 
Leaving Le Rivier about 0800 hrs, they walked up to the crash site with the
Village Mayor and a few inhabitants, arriving back in Le Rivier at 12.30
hrs.  After a buffet lunch the party proceeded to the Village Cemetery
where at 15.00 hrs wreaths were laid on all ten CWGC graves.