Alan Leach - World War II Bomber Pilot

Alan Leach was born in Coppull 25th March 1921 the eldest son of Sylvester and Emma. He was a Pilot Officer in the RAF Volunteer Reserve at the age of 17 and a member of 51 squadron.

The aircraft he was flying on 5th January 1945 was a Halifax. It took off from RAF Snaith at 16.47 hours, detailed to bomb the rail network at Hannover, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Shot down at 19.22 by Luftwaffe pilot Georg-Hermann Greiner, it crashed 19.27 in Stockener Street, Leinhausen- Soeckern. He and five of the crew were killed and are buried in Hannover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany.

Aircraft Type: Halifax Serial number: LV 952 Radio call sign: MH – F Unit: ATTD 51 SQN RAF Crew: RAF PO 185864 Captain A. Leach (Pilot): RAF Sgt P Neale (Flight Engineer) RAF Flt Sgt J S Staples (Navigator): RAF Flt Sgt W G Bowen (Air Bomber) RAAF 403167 PO Wilson L A (Wireless Operator Air): RAF Flt Sgt W M Burton (Air Gunner) The surviving crew member was RAF Sgt D E F Thomsett (Air Gunner)

He received the following medals: 1934/45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War medal 1939-1945.

Alan Leach is buried (Grave 2,F,7-7A)