Nos ducimus ceteri secunter - We lead, others follow
No.1872390, Sergeant (Flight Engineer), Leslie Valentine NORTON
Aged 20
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Leslie Valentine NORTON was born in Brandon in 1924 (Thetford Q1-1924 4B:492), son of Reginald and Grace NORTON (née HYAM),
In the 1939 register, Leslie was ( a wood machinist) was at 151 Thetford Road, Brandon with his father Reginald [3-3-1895] a butcher/slaughterman and mother Grace E. [8-3-1895]. There are two closed records. |
click here to go to the ww2.brandonatwar.co.uk website for more information
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On 20th March, 1944, A new Pathfinder squadron, 635 Squadron was formed with crews from "B" flight of 35 Squadron and "C" flight from 97 Squadron. It was stationed at Downham Market with a battle strength was 20 Lancasters, a mix of Mk I and Mk III's. On the night of 30th-31st March, 1944, 795 Royal Air Force Bomber Command aircraft operated against Nuremburg and suffered 96 losses, with 8 more aircraft written off afterwards. Badly forecast winds, with a lack of predicted cloud cover & a full moon, gave the defences every advantage. 155 other aircraft operating against other targets (diversions etc) suffered only one loss. With the winds being far stronger than predicted, the tight formation was broken up. Many aircraft attacked Schweinfurt by mistake. On arrival, thick cloud covered the target and little damage was done. It appears the enemy casualties on the ground were only 69. Out of the 96 aircraft shot down, most fell to fighter attack, helped by the bright moonlight. Leslie flew in Avro Lancaster MkIII, ser.no.ND711, c/sign F2-C, taking off from Downham Market at 22:06 on 30th March. Flying an extended outward leg they were shot down by a night fighter (possibly Leutnant Hans Schäfer, # 7 Staffel NJG2) and crashed 500 metres east Steinen, 5 kn east of Herschbach (NE of Koblenz). The crew of seven were all buried initially in a special plot in Steinen Cemetery, but concentrated to Rheinberg on 23rd May 1947. |
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details