HEASON, Leonard William
| Service Number: | 415531 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 November 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | No. 90 Squadron (RAF) |
| Born: | Perth, Western Australia, 9 July 1922 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Germany, 18 November 1943, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany Grave Ref: 1.C.12, Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria, Germany |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Busselton Cenotaph Victoria Square, Nar Nar Goon Commerical Bank of Australia Limited WW2 Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flight Sergeant, 415531 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 415531, No. 90 Squadron (RAF), He flew with RAF Bomber Command | |
| 9 Nov 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 415531 |
Help us honour Leonard William Heason's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Joy Dalgleish
Leonards plane, a Stirling LK379 took off from RAF Wratting Common, Cambridgeshire at 1718 hours on the night of 18/19th November 1943, detailed to bomb Mannheim, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The route was Beachy Head – Cayeux – Target – Position 49.12N 08.08E – 48.50N 05.00E – 50.00N 0115E – Beachy Head – Base. The estimated time of arrival (ETA) back at Base was 2309 hours. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was established in 1947 that on 18 November 1943 between 1930 and 2000 hours, an aircraft had attempted to make a forced landing on Biedesand Island and it had been previously damaged. It collided with a tree and exploded scattering wreckage over a wide area. In 1950, following exhumation of graves in Lampertheim Cemetery, the remains of Flight Sergeant Sykes, Flight Sergeant Ussher, and Flight Sergeant Heason were identified. The other four crew members have no known grave and their names are commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Surrey.
The crew members of LK379 were:
Flying Officer David Edward Blain (55025) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Donald Arthur Brown (133716) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Leonard William Heason (415531) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Douglas Leon Hollamby (1624700) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Ross McCulloch Simpson (415279) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Eric Whitton Sykes (1239644) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Owen Neville Ussher (39590) (RNZAF) (Wireless Operator)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/17/380
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
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