ANZAC Day Memorial - Leonard Ernest Cavanagh

Leonard Ernest Cavanagh  (14 June 1923 - 23 June 1943) 

Leonard Ernest Cavanagh was born on 14 Jun 1923 in Perth, Western Australia, the son of James Thomas Cavanagh and Alma Irene Gawned. 

Len was the pilot of a Handley Page Halifax II bomber, serial number JD259, that was shot down over Leest in Belgium on 23 June 1943. There were no survivors. 

Family and Early Life

Leonard Ernest Cavanagh and cousin Noel James Cavanagh, c1936

Len's father James was born in Subiaco in 1899, enlisted in the AIF at the age of 18 and served in France in World War 1.  

He returned to Perth in 1919 and married Alma Gawned in 1922. James worked as a carpenter, and he and Alma only had one child, Len.  James died in 1930 at Fremantle, when his motorcycle crashed into the rear of a stationery taxi. Alma was flung out of the sidecar and was reported to have sustained only minor injuries.

Alma married Edwin (Ted) Stamp in 1936. Ted died in June 1945 and is buried at Karrakatta Cemetery in Perth. The headstone describes him as a "dear stepfather" to Len.

Len grew up in Claremont and attended Claremont Central school until 1937.  He went on to attend the Senior Technical College in Perth until he enlisted. He was studying three maths subjects, Physics and English at night classes, and he passed the Leaving English exam in 1940.

Local newspapers record his participation in district school sports meetings, when he was among the place-holders for running events.  The papers also record his wins in sprint and relay events for the North Cottesloe Life-Saving Club. 

 Alma was a loving Aunt to her many nieces and nephews, and James Cavanagh or "Jimmie" was well remembered by family.

Alma scripted the headstone for Edwin, which included a memorial for Len.   Alma also placed "in memoriam" notices  in the "West Australian" newspaper for her son on the anniversary of his death. 

Alma Stamp died on 4 May 1982.  

Headstone - Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth (in situ.)

Military Service

Len enlisted for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at the Number 4 Recruiting Centre in Perth on 9 October 1941.  He was 18, which was under the age limit of 20, and his mother had given her permission for his enlistment. Records show that he had been working as a Junior Clerk at the Metropolitan Water Supply and was studying towards an engineering cadetship.

 "Wings" - from Len's uniform
                                in the collection donated by Alma Stamp to the RAAF Museum, Bullcreek WAust

                                           

Training group photo's, taken from the Australian War Memorial collection. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

The Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) was established at the end of 1939, in order to provide sufficient air crew for the Royal Air Force (RAF) for the upcoming war in Europe.  Australia committed to providing 28,000 aircrew over three years and to conduct elementary training here for recruits.  They would be sent to Canada for advanced training, and then on to England for assignment to RAF squadrons. 37,000 Australian airmen were trained by 1945.

I can imagine what an adventure it must have been for those selected.

Halifax II Bomber, Serial Number JD259: The Crew

On the night of 22 June, Halifax II Bomber, serial number JD259, call sign NP-R, was one of 557 aircraft which attacked Mulheim in Germany.  The plane had dropped it's load of bombs, and was returning to RAF Lissett.

The attack was part of the "Battle of the Ruhr," and 35 bombers did not return.  The British post-war bombing Survey unit reported that this raid destroyed 64% of the city.

There are various reports and memories of the crash available - 

 “…the pilot made a very brave attempt to crash-land his bomber, but just as he was about to touch down the Halifax collided with a line of high-tension cables and exploded.”

Translated from Dutch, memories of residents recorded in January 2010 and taken from this website - (http://blog.seniorennet.be/kroniekenvanleest/archief.php?ID=1104450) -

"In the early morning of that Wednesday morning, we were startled by unusual aircraft noises. No one witnessed the dogfight, but war reports say it must have been above us. A Halifax on its way back from Mulheim was driven off course and chased by a German Messerschmitt. Some saw the smoking plane that exploded in the air and crashed between the Kapelseweg and Tiendeschuurstraat...Before our eyes in familiar fields lay the scattered debris on this behemoth - a flying fortress - but also the bodies, young, half-charred, dead."

Virginie Dons-Soli: "it was summer and very good weather, really warm. A large part of the engine cut straight through our stable. We had to take the cows down with great difficulty. A piece of wing stuck out in the meadow behind our house. Around there and in many places the grass was all scorched. One of the English pilots was found two or three weeks later in a potato field of Fierens a little further..."

Victor Van Hoof: "In June 1943 an English Halifax bomber was shot down in the Tiendeschurstraat at the Sheers farm. All the occupants were killed.  The plane, a four-engine, had shattered into pieces.  The control cabin was located between the Scheer's farm and Em's home.  Geets, way out in the field. Like so many souvenir hunters, I also went for some screws and parts. While I was on all fours in that cabin messing around, I was yelled at in German.  I had to leave the cabin with my hands above my head and be the last man in line with the other souvenir seekers.   ...That German...with every object he took out of people's pockets, they got a firm punch or blow in the face..."

Frans Tersago: "There were Germans standing guard. The bodies of the fallen airmen had been brought in boxes to the side of the road. They were just in front of the railway crossing on the Kapellebaan. While we were there, a prayer was offered by a German chaplain. Then the coffins were transported on wagons."

The attack was claimed by Aviator Oberleutnant Wilhem Telge of the night fighters Squadron II (NJG 1). He was flying a Messerschmidtt Bf 110 G-4 and he had taken off from Sint-Truiden airfield in Belgium.  He died on 1 September 1943 after he collided with a Halifax bomber, which crashed near Hasserode, Germany.

Images of other Halifax II planes are included below as an illustration of events.  No images have been found to date of JD-259 and the crew.  (Click on the image to enlarge.)

RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF bomber forces during the war. 

Canadian pilot and author Murray Peden recalls: “The crews faced formidable odds, odds seldom appreciated outside the Command. At times in the great offensives of 1943 and 1944 the short-term statistics foretold that less than 25 out of each 100 crews would survive their first tour of 30 operations. On a single night Bomber Command lost more aircrew than Fighter Command lost during the Battle of Britain. Yet the crews buckled on their chutes and set out with unshakeable resolution night after night. They fell prey to the hazards of icing, lightning, storm and structural failure, and they perished amidst the bursting shells of the flak batteries. But by far the greater number died in desperately unequal combat under the overwhelming firepower of the tenacious German night fighter defenders.”

Source - https://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/

Medals 

Len's medals were issued to his mother in 1946 - the 1939-45 Star, Air Crew Europe Star, Defence Medal and War Medal.

Memorials 

Alma Stamp visited Len's grave in 1950, and at least once or twice more.  The inscription on the headstone reads "For Australia. A loved only child, lived and died gallantly."

Memorial avenues are a feature of Kings Park in Perth. In late 1947, application could be made by families for trees in Lovekin Avenue, in memory of servicemen who had died in WW2. There were 300 plaques available, and the cost of the nameplates was £1/1.  Most were dedicated on 5 December 1948, with Len's being dedicated by his mother.

In May 2013, "Operation Neptune," a WWII living History and Remembrance group based in Belgium erected a memorial at the site where the plane crashed.  

The roadside memorial and Len's grave were visited by cousins - Shirley Edwards with husband John and son Stephen (September 2014), and Bill Cavanagh (August 2015) 

Memorials - A Whisky Bottle

The news articles tell the tale of an extraordinary memorial - a bottle of whiskey signed by the crew of JD259, and left at a pub to be drunk when they returned.  (Click on the image to enlarge.)

The whisky bottle was enclosed in a glass case and displayed with a photo of Len in Alma's home. Alma mentioned many times that it was to be donated to the War memorial or similar.  The RAAF museum in Perth and the Australian War memorial have advised that they don't have it in their collections, although the RAAF museum do hold other material that was deposited there by Alma. The medals were also not deposited there, so perhaps family hold both items.

REFERENCES:

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/SearchScreens/BasicSearch.aspx

http://blog.seniorennet.be/kroniekenvanleest/archief.php?ID=1104450

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1702967

https://www.schoonselhof.be/schoonselhofac/cavanagh%20leonard%20ernest.html

https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RC09125.006/document/6019476.PDF

https://www.facebook.com/operationneptunevzw/photos/%EF%B8%8Freminder-%EF%B8%8Fraf-herdenking-halifax-crew-jd259-158sqdn-zaterdag-22-juni-11uraf-mon/1571150073016587/

https://airgunnerbobgilldfm.wordpress.com/raf-graveley/mulhiem-raids/

https://www.158squadron.co.uk/memorials/cavanagh

http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=61658

https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/cavanagh-leonard-ernest-415377/

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/212564