Alva Walt Leeper

Alva W Leeper Jr was born in Great Bend, Barton County, Kansas in 1922, the son of Alva W. Leeper, a welder, and his wife Leona. He grew up in Wekiwa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma before Alva spent two years at college before becoming an actor.

^{Alva Walt Leeper Jr}

Single and with no dependents, he enlisted in the US Army Air Corps in Los Angeles, California, on 23 March 1943. He was finally rated as a pilot on 3 October 1943 and, by February 1944, 2nd Lieutenant Leeper had been posted to England and was based at Grove in Berkshire (AAF Station 519). There he was serving with the 326th Ferrying Squadron, which in turn was part of 31st Air Transport Group, within the US IX Air Force.

On Wednesday 9 February 1944 Leeper was tasked with ferrying a newly assembled North American P-51B N5, Mustang, 43-6969, temporarily on the books of the 326th Ferrying Squadron, from Filton near Bristol (AAF Station 803), to Charmy Down near Bath (AAF Station 487).

^{North American P-51B Mustang}

A contact clearance (local forecast in area was 1500 feet ceiling, 6-12 miles visibility deteriorating to 1000 feet ceiling, 1-3 miles visibility in rain and smoke) was made at RAF Filton and the pilot was airborne at 16.07 hrs.

https://static.smartframe.io/embed.js

RAF Filton – as used by the 31st Air Transport Group

After circling the aerodrome he flew in a north-easterly direction. At that time a smoky haze had formed in a streamer approximately a mile wide about two miles north-east of the aerodrome. The pilot, after flying into this smoke haze, lost his direction and horizon and, at approximately 16.15 hrs, crashed the aircraft into a rolling ploughed field at Gaunt’s Earthcott totally destroying both the aircraft and its engine. At that time there was one mile visibility at 400 feet.

The only witness at the time of the accident was Mr P.L. Barrett, and the crash involved no damage to the property of Mr Simmonds on whose farm at Gaunts Earthcott the aircraft came down.

^{Pre-war map of Gaunt’s Earthcott}

However, 21 year old 2nd Lieutenant Alva W. Leeper jnr, who had 20 hours on Mustangs, was killed instantly and was subsequently laid to rest in the Cambridge American Cemetery & Memorial at Madingley, Plot D, Row 4, Grave 15, Memorial ID 56291685.

This report was largely written by John Penny and is used with his kind permission.

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