George, you may already have this info, but spotted it and sending it along, It also mentions another American, Lou Wise (who is in one of the photo’s with F/O Allman
- 884B8EEC-9160-48AA-8303-0B79641333BD.jpeg (15.82 KiB) Viewed 12520 times
- 04F97EED-2B89-4ED6-ACC4-07E7ACD460EE.jpeg (17.85 KiB) Viewed 12520 times
Flying Officer Leonard Ralph "Len" Allman
J13588 He was on the passenger manifest of the troop transport S.S. Pasteur which carried 111 Squadron to England, January 20 to 27, 1944. Len was born in Schenectady, New York but grew up in Toronto and went to school with
Lou Wise. They both enlisted in the RCAF together, determined to fly fighters. But neither got his wish right away. The Air Force needed people to train in support trades. They trained and worked as Air Frame Mechanics for about a year at RCAF Borden, They took flying lessons on their own in the hope that the lessons would improve their chances of being selected for service flying training. Lou got assigned to 111 Squadron before he got enough flying time and had to leave for Rockecliffe. Len, who had made Sergeant (Air Frame Mechanic), was able to remain. The photograph (on the left, above) shows Sgt Len in the middle on a visit with Cpl Lou (on his right) at the lake at Rockcliife (Ottawa).The third guy is Gord Young. That would be the last time these old school buddies saw each other.
Len re-mustered and was sent to Service Flying Training. Only after 111 Squadron completed its Alaska Campaign tour was Lou given his wish to train to be a pilot. He did not go with 111 Squadron to Europe where it became 440 Squadron. But, by an "amazing coincidence" (those were Lou's words to me), Len was assigned to 111 Squadron as a Flying Officer (Pilot) just in time to catch the departure on the S.S. Pasteur to England.
On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), he was killed while attacking the French coast near Caen in Hawker Typhoon #MN 428. His body is buried in the Beny-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery, Reviers, Calvados, France. He was 24 years old.
