The Airmen's Stories - F/Lt. A W Pennington-Legh

Alan William Pennington-Legh joined the RAF on a short service commission in January 1936. He was posted to 9 FTS, Thornaby on 4th April and with training completed he was posted to 43 Squadron at Tangmere on 1st October 1936.

When 248 Squadron was reformed at Hendon in October 1939, Pennington-Legh joined it as a Flight Commander. He was given command of 232 Squadron at Skitten on 1st October 1940 and led it until May 1941. He returned to the squadron in July and commanded it until October 1941.

In early 1942 Pennington-Legh was commanding 11 Squadron, operating in Blenheims in the Western Desert. He took the squadron to Ceylon in March 1942. He was killed with the squadron on 1st June 1943, as a Wing Commander. He was shot down but having survived this he was captured and murdered by bandits.

Pennington-Legh was 28. He is remembered on the Singapore Memorial, Column 423.

(Photograph courtesy of Jonathan Morford and Captain Robert L Koprowski, US Army (Veteran))