Leslie Milburne Blome-Jones DFC RAFO – 103 Squadron – 1940/41 – 37760
Leslie Blome-Jones pictured on the right with Arthur Roberts on the left, was a pilot with 103 Squadron in France flying Battles.
Leslie Blome-Jones had a long, distinguished and varied RAF career going back to 1936 and well into the post war era. I note from his log book he flew over 40 different types of aircraft which is quite exceptional now. On WW2 operations he flew Battles, Wellingtons, Venturas and Lancasters.
He was born on the 17th January 1912 in Sheppey, Kent where his family were prominent local solicitors.
His career started in 1936 and ran as follows :-
Scottish Aviation - Prestwich – February to March 1936
No 2 FTS - Digby - March to January 1937
103 Squadron - Andover – January to February 1937
55 Squadron - Iraq - March 1937 to January 1939
Station Flight - Manston – April to September 1939
35 Squadron - Cranfield – September to October 1939
98 Squadron - Hucknall - November - May 1940
BEF - 103 Squadron
08-June-40 - Abbeville-Poix area - Amiens railway - Battle - L5465 - Blome-Jones - Heavy flak. Damaged aircraft. Enemy units observed on ground.
10-June-40 - Vernon area - Troop concentrations - Battle - L5465 - Blome-Jones - Bombed railway line and road. Slight flak.
11-June-40 – Seine, Les Andeleys, Vernon area - Troop concentrations - Battle - L5465 - Blome-Jones - Bombed suspected troop concentration in forest. Patrolled up river. No other movements observed.
13-June-40 - Vernon area - Pont d'Aicle - Battle - L5465 - Blome-Jones - Cloud obscured target area. Some flak encountered. Continued patrol but unable to note any activity. Rain and sleet.
Left Souge airfield in France for UK
103 Squadron – RAF Newton
3rd-July-40 - Honnington to Newton.
Training and collecting stores from Hucknall.
The remainder of his 103 Squadron tour was as follows :-
22-Jul-40 – Schipol – Airfield – Battle – P2304 – F/L Blome-Jones - Unable to locate primary. Bombed alternative airfield.
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Attached to 214 Sqn Stradishall on Wellington Conversion Course 26th August 40
Whilst attached to 214 Squadron he flew the following operations
14-Oct-40 - Entwerpe
17-Oct-40 - Osnabruck
24-Oct-40 - Calais.
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Returned to 103 Squadron - RAF Newton
01-Jan-41 – Bremen – Docks – Wellington – R104 – F/L Blome-Jones – ER - Engine U/S
03-Jan-41 – Bremen - General attack – Wellington – N2770 – F/L Blome-Jones - Combat. Approached by EA. Rear gunner opened fire and EA dived through cloud.
09-Jan-41 – Gelsenkirchen - Oil plant – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
25-Feb-41 – Dusseldorf - General attack – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
28-Feb-41 – Wilhelmshaven – Docks – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones - Encountered severe icing and A/C became statically charged
03-Mar-41 – Cologne - General attack – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
12-Mar-41 – Hamburg - U boat yards – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
14-Mar-41 – Gelsenkirchen – Oil – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
30-Mar-41 – Brest - German capital ships – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones - SE EA passed 15 yards from port bow without opening fire.
09-Apr-41 – Kiel – Docks – Wellington – N2770 – S/L Blome-Jones
15-Apr-41 – Kiel – Docks – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
17-Apr-41 – Berlin - General attack – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones
24-Apr-41 – Kiel – Docks – Wellington – T2965 – S/L Blome-Jones
30-Apr-41 – Kiel – Docks – Wellington – R1041 – S/L Blome-Jones - 500lb bomb hung up.
03-May-41 – Cologne - General attack – Wellington – T2965 – S/L Blome-Jones - Approached by an unidentified aircraft at Feltwell which veered off
07-May-41 - St Nazaire - U boat base – Wellington – T2965 – S/L Blome-Jones
12-May-41 – Mannheim - General attack – Wellington – T2965 – S/L Blome-Jones – ER - Excessive petrol consumption and engine overheating.
On the 26th May 1941 he was screened and transferred to 12 Operational Training Unit at Pershore as an instructor.
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The Remainder of his war service was as follows:-
No 1 Squadron/12 OTU - Benson - May 41 to February 1942.
No 1 Group Bawtry - July 1942 to December 1942.
21 Squadron - Methwold - December 42 to August 1943.
21 Squadron ops. All flown in Lockheed Venturas.
Ijmuiden,
Abbeville,
Den Helder,
Morlaix,
Zeebrugge.
29 OTU - Bruntingthorpe - September 43 to January 44
RAF Scampton 2 days in January 1944.
1654 HCU - Wigsley - January 44 to March 44
5 LFS Syerston 61 Squadron - Coningsby - March 44 to April 44.
61 Squadron - Swinderby - April 44 for 3 weeks.
207 Squadron - Spilbsy - April 44 to July 1944
207 Squadron ops flown :-
3/4th May 1944 - Mailly le Camp,
7/8th May 1944 - Tours airfield,
9/10th May 1944 - Annecey,
11/12th May 1944 - Bourg Leopold,
15/16th May 1944 - Kiel Bay,
Antwerp,
Frisian Islands,
31st May/1st June 1944 - Saumur,
Etampes,
Beauvoir,
CO - 630 Squadron - East Kirkby - July 44 to October 44.
630 Squadron ops flown:-
14/07/1944 Villeneuve
18/07/1944 Caen
26/07/1944 Givors
12/08/1944 Falaise
14/08/1944 Brest
16/08/1944 Stettin
11/09/1944 Darmstadt
75 Base - Swinderby - October 1944 to December 1944.
No 5 Aircrew School - December 1944 to February1945
HQ MAAF - March 45 to August 45
SRAF Staff College at Haifa - Aug 1945 to Feb 1946
RAF Med ME - Feb 1946 to Aug 1946
He was awarded a long overdue DFC which was gazetted jan 45
Leslie remained a member of the RAF for some years then moved to Southern Rhodesia where he became a farmer. He died on the 2nd May 2011 in Cape Town South Africa.
Item compiled by David Fell with photo from my archive
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