The Airmen's Stories - P/O D C Leary

David Cooper Leary was born in London and joined the RAF on a short service commission in August 1939. He completed his training, went to 6 OTU, Sutton Bridge on 18th May 1940 to convert to Hurricanes and joined 17 Squadron on 25th May. He went to France with the squadron on 5th June, operating from Dinard and Le Mans. On 12th June Leary claimed a Me109 destroyed and on the 13th another one damaged. The squadron was withdrawn on the 17th, reaching Tangmere on the 19th.

Leary destroyed a Me109 on 25th August, got a probable Me110, shared another and a Do17 on 3rd September, destroyed a Me110 and probably another on the 27th, got a probable Do17 on the 28th, destroyed two Ju87's and shared two on 8th November and damaged a Do17 on the 13th.

Leary was awarded the DFC (gazetted 26th November 1940).

He was killed on 28th December 1940 when he crashed near Debden, in fog and low cloud, in Hurricane V6791.

He was 19 and is buried in Ipswich Cemetery, Suffolk.