Signalman Leslie J Wallington

Signalman. Leslie Wallington originally served with the Airlanding Brigade Signal Section, and did a short parachute course, No 17, of 2 balloon and 2 aircraft descents at RAF. Ringway, 7– 12 July 1942.

Shortly after he either volunteered for, or was assigned to J-Section Signals, which was part of the 1st Parachute Brigade, to take part in Operation ‘TORCH’, which sailed to North Africa in October 1942.

On the 20 November 1942 he was at Maison Blanche aerodrome when it suffered an air attack and he was killed. This attack, and its aftermath, was recorded in the 1st Parachute Brigade Headquarters War Diary: 19.00 hrs. Approximately 5 enemy A/C bombed the aerodrome with 250 kilo bombs; damage was caused to hangars, the aircraft were engaged by the Defence Platoon with small arms fire – casualties 11 dead, 25 injured. Own casualties, one dead, one injured, several Allied aircraft were damaged – very little damage was caused to our parachuting equipment – containers of about 1 Coy rendered unserviceable.

The son of Albert Henry and Catherine Wallington, of St. Pancras, London, he was 22 years old and was buried at Dely Ibrahim War Cemetery, 3. F. 9, in Algeria.