Barnard, Leonard Joseph
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Leonard Joseph |
Surname | Barnard |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Date of Death | 24-10-1942 |
Next of Kin | Son of Leonard Barnard and Amelia Barnard (née Steinhouse), of Brooklyn, New York. Husband of Alice Barnard (née Jackson)- marriage on 25 September 1938, Brooklyn. Father of Leonard Francis Barnard (born 18 April 1940). |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Short Stirling I |
Serial Number | W7628 |
Markings | OJ-B |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | United Kingdom |
Burial/Memorial Place | Brookwood Military Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 33. E. 9. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 127 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 117579 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 3 |
Squadron | 149 (East India) |
Squadron Motto | Fortis nocte (Strong by night) |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | United States of America |
Other Memorials
Location | St. Mary's Churchyard, Cliffe, Isle of Grain, Kent |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Memorial |
Memorial Text | In memory of the crew of Stirling bomber W7628 which crashed in Cliff on 24th October 1942 |
Location | St. George's Church, Methwold, Norfolk |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Roll of Honour & inscribed window |
Memorial Text | Roll of Honour of 149 Sqn RAF and a window remembering the men and women of all Nations who served at RAF Methwold, 1939-1945 |
Miscellaneous Information
Leonard was born on 3 November 1916 at Brooklyn , New York, USA. Both his parents were born in Brooklyn and his father worked as a Stevedore. He went to New York City School, 1922-1931 (primary) and Brooklyn Industrial High School, 1931-1933 where he studied electric wiring and radio. His sport interests were bowling and swimming and his hobby was radio mechanics. Leonard worked at the Winn Radio Company, Brooklyn as a radio mechanic 1933- 1938 and then at the Metropolitan Engineering Co.in Brooklyn as an engineer, 1938-1941 until enlisting. |
He enlisted in Montreal on 16 July 1941, while his native USA was still neutral and in so doing, risked his citizenship. After early training, Leonard embarked from Canada on 20 July 1942 for the U.K. arriving at 3 PRC on 30 July 1942. He went on to 7 AGS on 18 August 1942 and 149 Squadron on 10 October 1942. It was from here exactly two weeks later that Leonard sadly lost his life. |
Before Leonard was posted abroad he signed a document entrusting his son to the custody of another family in Quebec named Jolicoeur. His son was never to be given back to him , to his wife or anyone else and he wanted the little boy to remain a resident of Canada until he was twenty one. Perhaps Leonard wasn’t expecting to return. The child's mother still lived in America. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1002/20 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1002/19 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 23-10-1942 |
End Date | 24-10-1942 |
Takeoff Station | Lakenheath |
Day/Night Raid | Night (100% moon) |
Operation | Genoa. 122 aircraft, 3 losses (2.5%). The area was completely cloud covered and the entire raid actually fell on the town of Savona, some 30 miles away |
Reason for Loss | Ran out of fuel on return leg and crashed at Cliffe, north of Rochester, Kent |