Leonard was born in 1923 in Hampstaed, London to Digby and Dorothy née Ginsberg and he had one brother Alan. Dorothy died in 1933 when Leonard was ten years old. Leonard attended Cranleigh School and is commemorated on the school memorial. Leonard’s grandfather Lewis was a prominent architect and surveyor who had a major influence on British synagogue design. His son Digby was named after his colleague Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt and he eventually took over his father’s practice designing synagogues.

Halifax LL276 departed from RAF Tempsford to take part in Operation Osric 74, a supply drop to the Belgian resistance. As the aircraft approached the Dutch coast it was attacked and shot down by Feldwebel Wilhelm Morlock. Cliff-McCulloch, Robinson and Leonard were killed in the attack and Murray and McCluskey baled out but drowned in the Scheldt. The remaining crew of Pearcey, Notton and Stead baled out but were captured and became prisoners of war.

A/G, Alexander Peter Cliff-McCulloch, 1825003
Pilot, Henry Francis Graham Murray, 1433884
F/E, Thomas McCluskey, 1832010
A/G, Roy Robinson, 2209379

Nav, J. Pearcey, RCAF, J/20972, POW No. 5791, Stalag L3
B/A, Peter Notton, 1416687, POW No.93, Stalag Luft L7
W/Op, Fred Stead, 1432844, POW No. 98, Stalag Luft L7