Wing Commander LE Leon

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Lionel Leon, educated at King Edwards volunteered from America when war was declared and had just turned twenty when he commissioned in November. Harte was a Royal Air Force Reserve Flying Officer while Austin, Dawson-Squibb, Deas, Leon and Whiting would have received standard notifications after their Recruiting Office “Air Crew Selection Board” interviews, “You will be taken on strength from the date you report for duty and will also be issued with uniforms etc. as soon as possible thereafter. You should therefore bring with you the minimum of personal requirements” which translated as arriving at their designated “Receiving Wing”, a 90 second regulation haircut, health check, identity documentation issue and a few weeks of “square bashing”.

More than a “Few” South Africans

Lionel Leon completed flying training in August 1941, he had flown thirty No 14 Squadron Blenheim Middle East sorties by March 1942 and early in that month, survived a crash landing when two of the squadron’s Blenheim’s collided in mid-air. Leon was flying No 223 Squadron Baltimore’s when he was awarded the “Distinguished Flying Cross” in 1943.

More than a “Few” South Africans

Wing Commander Leon DFC assumed command of No 55 Squadron, a day bomber unit operating Baltimore’s out of Foggia in early 1944. The second South African to command the squadron, Queens College educated Air Commodore JF Roulston CBE DSO DFC commanded the squadron in 1942, then flying North African based Blenheim’s.

More than a “Few” South Africans

Leon earned a “Bar” to his “Distinguished Flying Cross” and an immediate “Distinguished Service Order” after destroying a key bridge under heavy fire in 1945 and still commanding the squadron. He completed over a hundred bomber sorties in the Middle East and Mediterranean and other than the 130 sorties flown by Wing Commander Lynn DSO and Bar DFC, a sortie count ahead of any other South African RAF bomber pilot.

More than a “Few” South Africans

Wing Commander Leon DSO DFC and Bar, returned to South Africa after the war and like many ex- servicemen opposed to the post war government’s race policies, joined the “Torch Commando”. He moved his family to Australia in the 1970’s, farmed avocados in New South Wales and died in 2006.