Leonard Smith

Leonard Smith was first employed by the British Bata Shoe Company on 9th March, 1936 leaving previous employment with Tilbury Estates. He left the Bata Shoe Factory at East Tilbury to join the R.A.F. in May 1941 at the age of 19 after working there for 5 years. He worked in the Leather Factory.
He was married to Ethel Percy from Tilbury, who was a fellow Bata employee in the leather factory as a clicker in 405 Dept, she left to join the W.A.A.F Oct 1942.

Between 1943 and 1945, No. 148 Squadron RAF carried out Special Duties on behalf of the Special Operations Executive. Operating first out of North Africa and later from Brindisi in S. Italy, the Squadron dropped supplies and agents to Allied forces behind enemy lines in S. Europe, the Balkans and as far up as Warsaw, Poland in Central Europe3-4 July 1944
No. 148 Squadron lost no fewer than four aircraft, all Halifax’s, on the night of 3-4.7.44: one over Budapest; the other three – including JP292, Leonard Smith’s aircraft – in the vicinity of Sombor in Yugoslavia.

Crashed During A Special Operations Supply Drop to Poland

Here are the details  :Halifax MkII

Serial No. JP292
Squadron code FS-W
Failed to Return from Poland 3-4.7.44
’…W/O Fair weather only needed 50 hours to complete his second tour of 300 hours operational flying with this squadron.’ Flights of the Forgotten p.199.

Two more pictures of Leonard Smith in uniform on left and on his wedding day on the right.