Leslie Thomas Manser
Encyclopedia
Leslie Thomas Manser VC
(11 May 1922 - 31 May 1942) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
and Commonwealth
forces.
, Hertfordshire. He was a student of Victoria Boys' School, Kurseong, Darjeeling and Aldenham School, Elstree
, Hertfordshire. He was accepted by the Royal Air Force in August 1940, and Manser was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in May 1941. After a navigational course and final operational training at 14 OTU, Cottesmore, he was posted to No. 50 Squadron (Hampdens) at Swinderby
, Lincolnshire on 27 August.
Two days after joining his squadron Manser experienced his first operation: as a second pilot, he took part in a bombing raid on Frankfurt. During the next two months he flew six more sorties against targets like Berlin, Hamburg and Karlsruhe before being posted to 25 OTU, Finningly on 7 November and a month later posted back to 14 OTU as an instructor.
Manser served briefly with No. 420 RCAF Squadron (Hampdens) from March-April 1942 when he rejoined 50 Squadron then operating from Skellingthorpe, and converting to the new Avro Manchester
bomber. He piloted one of the new aircraft during a leaflet drop over Paris, and flew a further five sorties during April and May. Manser was promoted to Flying Officer on 6 May.
He was 20 years old when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 May 1942 over Germany
, Flying Officer Manser was captain and first pilot of an Avro Manchester
bomber (serial L7301/'D' -Dog) which took part in the first 1,000 bomber raid of the war; the raid being against the city of Cologne
.
He bombed the target successfully from 7,000 feet, but his aircraft was hit repeatedly,in an effort to escape he took violent evasive action, which reduced his altitude to 1,000 feet. By this time the rear gunner was wounded, the front cabin full of smoke and the port engine overheating. The port engine then burst into flames and took some time to extinguish, reducing airspeed to a dangerously low level. The crew made preparations to abandon the aircraft, by then barely controllable and a crash inevitable. The aircraft was by now over Belgium and Manser ordered the crew to bale out, but refused the offer of a parachute for himself. He remained at the controls and sacrificed himself in order to save his crew. As the crew parachuted down they saw the bomber crash in flames into a dyke at Bree, 21 km North east of Genk in Belgium.
P/O R.J.Barnes was taken PoW, but Sgt L.H.Baveystock, P/O R.M.Horsley, Sgt S.E.King, Sgt A.McF Mills and Sgt B.W.Naylor all evaded capture and made their way back to the UK. The testimonies of the five evaders were instrumental in the posthumous award of the VC
, VC.
On part of the old RAF Skellingthorpe airfield where Manser flew his last sortie from a new Primary School was built. It was opened in 1981 and named The Leslie Manser Primary School after Flying Officer Leslie Manser.
On 31 June 2004 a Memorial to F/Off. Leslie Manser VC., RAFVR. 50 Squadron - Royal Air Force was unveiled in natural domain the "Zig", Stamprooierbroek near Molenbeersel, Kinrooi in the north-east of Belgium.
His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum
, London.
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
(11 May 1922 - 31 May 1942) was a British recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
forces.
Details
Leslie Thomas Manser was born in New Delhi, India during his father's employment as an engineer with the Post and Telegraph Department and, when the family returned to England, they settled in RadlettRadlett
Radlett is a small town in the county of Hertfordshire between St Albans and Borehamwood on Watling Street with a population of approximately 8,000. It is located in the council district of Hertsmere and is covered by two wards, Aldenham East and Aldenham West...
, Hertfordshire. He was a student of Victoria Boys' School, Kurseong, Darjeeling and Aldenham School, Elstree
Elstree
Elstree is a village in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire on the A5 road, about 10 miles north of London. In 2001, its population was 4,765, and forms part of the civil parish of Elstree and Borehamwood, originally known simply as Elstree....
, Hertfordshire. He was accepted by the Royal Air Force in August 1940, and Manser was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in May 1941. After a navigational course and final operational training at 14 OTU, Cottesmore, he was posted to No. 50 Squadron (Hampdens) at Swinderby
Swinderby
Swinderby is a settlement and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, on the A46 road between Lincoln and Newark, within a rural agricultural community. It covers an area of , and has a population of 773....
, Lincolnshire on 27 August.
Two days after joining his squadron Manser experienced his first operation: as a second pilot, he took part in a bombing raid on Frankfurt. During the next two months he flew six more sorties against targets like Berlin, Hamburg and Karlsruhe before being posted to 25 OTU, Finningly on 7 November and a month later posted back to 14 OTU as an instructor.
Manser served briefly with No. 420 RCAF Squadron (Hampdens) from March-April 1942 when he rejoined 50 Squadron then operating from Skellingthorpe, and converting to the new Avro Manchester
Avro Manchester
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hickley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1857801798....
bomber. He piloted one of the new aircraft during a leaflet drop over Paris, and flew a further five sorties during April and May. Manser was promoted to Flying Officer on 6 May.
He was 20 years old when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.
On 30 May 1942 over Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Flying Officer Manser was captain and first pilot of an Avro Manchester
Avro Manchester
|-See also:-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters and Bombers 1935–1950. Hickley, UK: Midland Publishing, 2004. ISBN 978-1857801798....
bomber (serial L7301/'D' -Dog) which took part in the first 1,000 bomber raid of the war; the raid being against the city of Cologne
Bombing of Cologne in World War II
The City of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II, including 31 times by the Royal Air Force . Air raid alarms went off in the winter/spring of 1940 as enemy bombers passed overhead. However, the first actual bombing took place on 12 May 1940...
.
He bombed the target successfully from 7,000 feet, but his aircraft was hit repeatedly,in an effort to escape he took violent evasive action, which reduced his altitude to 1,000 feet. By this time the rear gunner was wounded, the front cabin full of smoke and the port engine overheating. The port engine then burst into flames and took some time to extinguish, reducing airspeed to a dangerously low level. The crew made preparations to abandon the aircraft, by then barely controllable and a crash inevitable. The aircraft was by now over Belgium and Manser ordered the crew to bale out, but refused the offer of a parachute for himself. He remained at the controls and sacrificed himself in order to save his crew. As the crew parachuted down they saw the bomber crash in flames into a dyke at Bree, 21 km North east of Genk in Belgium.
P/O R.J.Barnes was taken PoW, but Sgt L.H.Baveystock, P/O R.M.Horsley, Sgt S.E.King, Sgt A.McF Mills and Sgt B.W.Naylor all evaded capture and made their way back to the UK. The testimonies of the five evaders were instrumental in the posthumous award of the VC
Further information
Manser was the brother-in-law of Captain John Neil RandleJohn Neil Randle
John Niel Randle VC was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.- Early life :...
, VC.
On part of the old RAF Skellingthorpe airfield where Manser flew his last sortie from a new Primary School was built. It was opened in 1981 and named The Leslie Manser Primary School after Flying Officer Leslie Manser.
On 31 June 2004 a Memorial to F/Off. Leslie Manser VC., RAFVR. 50 Squadron - Royal Air Force was unveiled in natural domain the "Zig", Stamprooierbroek near Molenbeersel, Kinrooi in the north-east of Belgium.
His VC is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, London.
External links
- CWGC entry
- See http://aubpages.net/VADHA/ http://aubpages.net/VADHA/Honour.html
- See http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/manser/index.htm
- See http://www.vsdh.org/vsdh/manser/memorial.htm