Leeman, Patrick Ian, son of Percival Garmany Leeman MC MB, of Derby, and Clare Grace Ellen, d. of Robert MacGregor of Durban; b. 8 Apr. 1922; adm. Sept. 1935 (R); left Apr. 1939; Sgt Pilot RAFVR, killed in action 8 Nov. 1941.
Patrick Ian “Paddy” Leeman was born at Derby, Derbyshire on the 22nd of July 1922 the son of Dr. Percival Garmany Leeman MC, MB and Clare Grace Ellen (nee Macgregor) Leeman of 100, Douglas Street, Osmaston Road, Derby, later of “The Lawn”, Burton Road, Littleover in Derbyshire.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1935 to April 1939. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1940 where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
On the night of the 7th/8th of November 1941, Bomber Command dispatched 101 Wellingtons, 42 Whitleys, 17 Stirlings and 9 Halifaxes for an operation on Berlin. The weather forecast over the North Sea was very poor with storms, thick cloud, icing and hail. This led the commanding officer of No. 5 Group to insist that his crews be sent to Cologne instead of Berlin but his request was ignored. 73 aircraft reached Berlin where were unable to observe the results of their bombing but they reported seeing a number of fires on the outskirts of the city. The authorities in Berlin reported widespread damage with 1 industrial building, 2 railways, 30 houses and 2 public buildings being damaged or destroyed. A gasometer at Saaken was burnt out. 11 people were killed on the ground with 44 injured and 637 people were bombed out of their homes.
Patrick Leeman and his crew took off from RAF Mildenhall at 5.26pm on the 7th of November 1941 in Wellington Mk IC X9878 OJ-A for the operation. Having completed their mission they were on the return leg of their journey and were in the area of Essen when they were hit by anti aircraft fire but were able to continue. A short time later the aircraft was flying at 8,000 feet near Wesel when it was hit again, twice in the nose and in the rear turret. It was then attacked and shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf110 night fighter flown by Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Engel of 7./NJG1. The aircraft crashed near to Isselburg at 12.47am local time with the loss of all but one of the crew. Theirs was one of an eventual 18 victories for Wilhelm Engel who survived the war.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Herbert Roy Crowe RCAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley William Dane (Pilot)
Sergeant Albert Charles Arthur Davis (Observer)
Sergeant Patrick Ian Leeman (2nd Pilot)
Sergeant John Charles Pengelly (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Jenkinson (Rear Gunner) (POW No. 6439 Stalag Luft VII)
Thiers was one of twenty one aircraft which were lost during the raid.
The crew was buried at North Cemetery, Dusseldorf but their bodies were exhumed in July 1946 by No. 4 Missing, Research and Enquiry Unit, Royal Air Force and moved to their present location.
The only survivor, rear gunner Frederick Jenkinson, later reported that he managed to get out of the damaged rear turret with great difficulty after using an axe. He related that he saw no one in the fuselage and that he and William Dane were both onboard when Dane crash landed the aircraft. Dane was killed in the crash with Jenkinson being injured and taken prisoner.
Due to the heavy losses it would be another fourteen months before Bomber Command launched another raid on Berlin.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Littleover.
He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Joint Grave 11 B 7-8.
