BARR L R Fl Lt 15 Sqn

15 SQUADRON “De Boys”
F/Lt Leslie Ronald Barr DFC
F/Lt Clifford George Reeve MBE
P/O F Cook
Lady MacRoberts lost her three sons in WW2 and donated £25000 towards a Stirling Bomber called “MacRoberts Reply”N6086 LS-F. First flown by Peter Boggis DFC of 15 Sqn. Peter Boggis signed his name on the George & Dragon ceiling but unfortunately this has not survived. From April 1943, 15 Sqn was stationed at Mildenhall and from Dec 1943 re-equipped with Avro Lancasters, one of which was the famous LL806 “ J-jig”. This plane flew 134 Operational sorties and was in the air for 765 hours.
On the 26th May 1942 Fl/Lt L R Barr(43627) while serving with 15 sqn was awarded the DFC and in August 1942 he was further awarded a bar to his DFC.
An article in the London Gazette of 7th August 1942 reported:
“Fl/Lt L R Barr was the captain of an aircraft detailed to attack submarine slipways at Lubeck. In adverse weather and in the face of strong enemy ground defences he vigorously attacked the target from an extremely low level, although his aircraft had been hit many times by shell fire. This officer is an extremely cool and courageous captain whose persistence and determination to ensure success have been outstanding.”
Fl/Lt Barr was shot down on 11/09/1942 while on a mission to Dusseldorf and crashed near Echt in Holland. He was at that time with 7 Sqn aged 28 and is buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Netherlands.
1st April 1942, F/O Reeve was the navigator of a Sterling aircraft which crashed when landing after an operational sortie. Most members were thrown clear but the Captain died. F/O Reeve sustained a fractured vertebra and dislocated ankles. Despite his injuries he dragged his companions away from the danger of exploding petrol tanks. He was awarded the MBE.
Clifford survived the war and remained in the RAF. In 1959 he was promoted from Sqn Ldr to Wing Commander. He died in Jan 2001 aged 81.