Click the link below, and you’ll find the first episode of a series called “Leonard’s War”.

It’s a history of aviation in the Great War of 1914-1918 through the experiences of one man, a Royal Flying Corps pilot and squadron commander, who survived and didn’t think he’d done anything special. But just by surviving nearly three years in the skies over Flanders, he had.

“Leonard” was Acting Major LW Learmount DSO MC RFC, my grandfather, who took command of No 22 Squadron RFC in France less than two years after his first RFC flying lesson. That, too was unremarkable at the time, but it wouldn’t happen today.

There is information here that has not seen the light of day, because it was routine stuff. But routine is what most aviators do most of the time, in peace and in war, so this is a story of military aviation in its experimental years, where more aircrew died during training than in action.

Post-script added 25 October 2024: If you have, over the last few years, read this story, it has since been extensively edited to add new detail as new facts and context are discovered. There have been many factual and historic corrections to the narrative, and there is more and deeper detail on the warfare context, illustrating the partnership between the aviators and the soldiers on the ground. This process continues. The story of “Leonard’s War” is, indeed, a work in progress!

Go to first episode!