The Airmen's Stories - Sgt. L Hird

Leonard Hird, from Yorkshire, was born on 5th April 1918, the son of Fred and Ethel Hird.

He attended Salt Boys High School in Shipley. After leaving he was employed as a journalist on the Shipley Times and later at a Bradford paper.

He joined the RAF in September 1939 as an Airman u/t Air Gunner. After completing his training he joined 604 Squadron at Middle Wallop on 14th August 1940.

With the advent of the Beaufighter and the increasing use of airborne radar, Hird was one of many air gunners who were posted away from their squadrons in late 1940 to Bomber Command.

He was killed on 28th June 1941 as a Flight Sergeant with 10 Squadron, operating in Whitleys from Leeming in Yorkshire. He was 23.

Hird is buried in Hamburg Cemetery, Ohlsdorf, Germany.

He was killed in Whitley V P5055 which was lost on a raid to Bremen.

Also lost were:

F/Sgt. RG Jones
Sgt. GL Gane
Sgt. AG Rickcord
Sgt. CS Thomson

Above image courtesy of Dark Poet.