Leonard Abbs RAF (1920 - 2014)

Born 20 May 1920 in Norfolk, England, United Kingdom

Died 28 Mar 2014 at age 93 in United Kingdom

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Biography

LAC LW “Abbie” Abbs 615342 RAF 20 May 1920—28 March 2014

At the age of 18, Len was already working in photography when he joined the RAF in July 1938. He went on to train in RAF photographic work at Farnborough before being posted to 9 Squadron (Vickers Wellington bombers). He was then posted to 211 Squadron, joining them at El Dabaa on 12 March 1940 at that uncertain stage of World War II known as the Phoney War, before even the Battle of France had begun. One of the originals posted with 211 Squadron to the Far East, there he was taken captive along with over 300 other groundcrew members of the Squadron, at the fall of Java in March 1942.

Born in Norfolk at Norwich, Len lived at Lowestoft in Suffolk for many years, an East Anglian through and through. Repatriated from the Far East, Len met Betty Robertson in 1947. Engaged that August, they married on 27 December 1947 and faced the triumphs and hurdles of life happily together down the years, with a growing family of five children, all daughters.

In December 2007 Len and Betty celebrated their Diamond Wedding anniversary, with family in Lowestoft and a message of congratulations from HM the Queen for good measure.

Sources

• http://www.211squadron.org/lw_abbs.html