Trafford

Leonard was born during the March quarter 1924 in the Barton upon Irwell
R.D. - ref: 8c/1020, in fact at 39 Worthington St, Stretford,  the son of
Joseph & Elizabeth Hannah Timperley (nee Corry).

Post war, (during the War ?) his parents resided at 32 Buckingham Road,
Stretford.

Leonard enlisted on 13th September 1941 and between the 2nd March and the
13th June 1944, he was stationed at RAF Charter Hall.

Killed in flying accident.  The Station Log of the accident states "Pilot
descending through cloud - lost control of the aircraft, which eventually
broke up in the air due to excessive loads.  Navigator was thrown clear of
the aircraft and landed by parachute".    The A.I.B. reported that
"Structural failure occurred after loss of control by the pilot".    It
goes on to state that "The pilot lost control in cumulus cloud and may have
been descending due to engine trouble".   The A.O.C. concurred with the
A.I.B. report.

RAF Bomber Command Losses (OTU) states that Wellington Mk X bomber -
aircraft number HF465, flying with 12 OTU, took off from RAF Chipping
Warden at 09.13 hours  for a cross country training flight.  The aircraft
was piloted by Flt/Sgt. L.J. Timperley, and, (for whatever reason), he was
descending through cloud at 12.23 hours when the aircraft disintegrated,
throwing the Navigator - Sgt. D.S.H. Wilson, clear of the aircraft - though
injured, he survived the crash.   Most of the debris fell at Prince Hill,
near Bridgemere, a village close to the Cheshire/Shropshire border and
roughly 6 miles south-east of Nantwich.

The other crew members - Pilot Officer Cecil Frank Holmes (Navigator/Air
Bomber);  Sgt. Laurence Edwin Harrison (Air Bomber);  Sgt. James David
Milne (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner;  Sgt Ronald Whitely Air Gunner;  and
Sgt. Arthur Fred Baker (Air Gunner), all died in the crash.

Some of the above information has been provided by Derek J. Innskeep, who
has taken an active role in the provision of a crash-site memorial at
Bridgemere.

M.I. "Greater Love Hath no Man - God Makes us Worthy of His Great
Sacrifice".

For some reason, Leonard is not commemorated in the Borough of Stretford's
WW2 Memorial Book.

See also the Manchester Evening News article of 21st January 2008.