102 Ceylon Squadron Forum

Ok folks I need some help please?

I have tried on many occassions to look up DFC / DFM citations on the Lon Gaz web site and failed misserably.. so... Hellppppppp please...

Having just got off the phone with my good friend Tom Sayer - DFM, I learnt that three of his crew went on to do second tours, but.. he doesn't know who with.

F/S Hugh Billbrough - Nav - DFC --- guided a plane back after it had been shot up really badly.. No idea of dates or with who.

F/S Leonard Hancock - B/A - DFC (2nd tour) - certain he got a DFC after his commissioning (no idea of date) but we have no idea what for or who with.

F/S James Kid - F/E - (did 2nd tour), who with??

Thanks to one and all.. again...

Hi Chris,

I had never yet looked up F/Lt Thomas Leithead's DFM so when I read your post I put "WW2 London Gazette Citations" in Google and got to the following website

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk

and managed to find it listed there via Advanced Search and Date Search using the range of 6 days as advised in the Help section. I also had a reference 2819 which turned out to be the Supplement page number. Under the heading Distinguished Flying Medal there is a list including:

977643 Sergeant Thomas Leithead, No.51 Squadron.

I don't know where Ian Tavender got all the additional information from (Remarks by Station Commander etc) that is listed on Thomas's page ...... I couldn't find any of it on the above LG website.

Hope this helps ..... happy hunting.

Cheers,
Dave.

Chris,
I found a Leonard Hancock from Liverpool, died in 1999, very high up in the classical music world (see Google obituaries), flew 40 missions in Bomber Command and was awarded the DFC. There is a very small Leonard Hancock Memorial Trust (based in France). Unfortunately I have no direct evidence this is your man. Could not find him in the London Gazette.
Simon

Tom did say that Leonard was a gifted musician, but not that he was this good or this well known... me thinks we need to make a page for this guy.. amazing...

Still nothing on any of the DFC's though..
Thanks for the help guys

Chris,
I think this is your man, if you read his obituaries he went back to university after the war and subsequently became well known. Most of his musical career was after the war so Tom would possibly not have known. Contact with his trust might produce more information.
Simon