The Airmen's Stories - P/O J D Lenahan

John Desmond Lenahan, from Tayport in Fife, was born in 1920, the son of John Martin Lenahan and Sarah Edith Lenahan.

He joined the RAF on a short service commission and began his initial training course on 29th August 1938.

He went to 8 FTS Montrose for No. 10 Course, which ran from 12th November 1938 to 23rd June 1939.

Above: at Usworth before the move to Tangmere.

L to R: Lenahan, unknown, P/O GHE Welford, F/Lt. CE Bowen (obscured).

Early on the morning of 5th May 1939 he was aloft from Montrose in Hawker Audax K7376 with P/O RE Atkinson. In poor weather the aircraft crashed on the Hill of Edendocher near Glen Dye in Aberdeenshire. Lenahan could not be freed from the wreckage so Atkinson, with a broken wrist, set off to find help and came upon a farm four hours later, where he telephoned for assistance.

Atkinson spent that day and night with a search party but in the mist they could not locate the aircraft.

Meanwhile a man from Banochry had come across the crash and took four hours using a penknife to free Lenahan. They built a crude shelter from the wreckage and spent the night there before help arrived.

After recovering Lenahan finished his training with No. 14 Course on 11th April 1940 before joining 145 Squadron at Croydon direct from 8 FTS on 19th April. He went on to 607 Squadron, also at Croydon, on 1st June 1940.

His first posting was 263 Squadron from where he was posted to 607 Squadron at Usworth on 1st June 1940.

On 9th September, at about 5 pm, a force of 300+ enemy aircraft with fighter escort crossed the South Coast in order to fly up the Thames Estuary to bomb London for the second successive night.

Twenty four squadrons of the RAF were ordered up to intercept this raid.

At 1730 hrs 607 Squadron flying Hurricanes from Tangmere made their first contact with the Luftwaffe over Mayfield in Kent. They lined up in formation and went in before the fighter escorts could come down on them. S/Ldr. Vick was leading the patrol of twelve aircraft at 17000 feet and reported that he saw about 60/70 Ju88s and Do17s flying north in several formations of five in a V formation. As the squadron turned to attack the bombers a force of about 40/50 Me109s dived at them from 19000 feet.

Blue Section was ordered to attack the bombers from underneath with Green Section carrying out a rearguard action, whilst Red and Yellow Sections were to attack the fighters. During the ensuing dogfights P/O Drake flying Hurricane P2728 was shot down and killed along with P/O Parnall and P/O Lenahan, whilst Sergeants Lansdell, Spyer, and Burnell-Philips were wounded.

One Do17 was claimed as being destroyed by the squadron. The RAF could show 28 German aircraft destroyed on this day for the loss of 19 British fighters, from which 6 pilots were recovered. P/O’s Parnall and Lenahan were confirmed as killed in action whilst Drake was posted as ‘missing’ as his crashed aircraft was not located at the time.

607’s Harry Welford recalled:

We were well and truly bounced by Me109s on that day: we lost six out of 12 aircraft; amongst these were my best friends Stuart Parnall and Scotty Lenahan and, as no more was heard of young George Drake, his death was presumed. We were shocked, we just could not take it all in. No one talked about it but we all hoped for news on George from some hospital or pub. No news came so we held back our sorrow. It was “You heard about Stuart and Scotty, rotten luck wasn’t it ?” and someone would add “…and young George Drake, bloody good blokes all of them”.

Lenahan’s Hurricane, P3117, came down at Mount Ephraim, Cranbrook.

He was 20 years old and is buried at Cranbrook cemetery.

Above: he is commemorated on the war memorial at Tayport.