Leslie was born on 26 April 1922 in Newport, Pembrokeshire to Wolfe and Hetty née Abrahamson and he had two sisters Freda and Hettie. A younger brother Michael died aged four months. In 1939 the family lived in Mitcham and Wolfe worked as a rates clerk. Leslie enlisted after September 1941 and trained as a wireless operator and air gunner.

Leslie’s friend was the actor Donald Houston who served in the same squadron. In his will Leslie left Donald his acting make up box. The will and transcription can be seen below.

Leslie was the wireless operator on Lancaster PB144 which departed from RAF Metheringham on a night operation to attack a flying-bomb storage site at St. Leu. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed at 01.30 bursting into flames 500 metres west of Ste-Genevieve killing all the crew.

MUG, Juan Alberto Adams-Langley, 156744
A/B, Eric George Banks, 1428222
F/E, Gordon Robert Howell, 187222
Pilot, Trevor Owen Marshall, DFC MiD, 39671
R/G, Patrick Joseph O’Leary, RAAF, 434189
Nav, Ian James Thompson, RAAF, 32311