48 Facts About Leonard Trent

Leonard Trent was shot down over Amsterdam while on a bombing mission, codenamed Operation Ramrod 16, on 3 May 1943, becoming a prisoner of war.

Leonard Trent continued to serve with the RAF and was commander of No 214 Squadron during the Suez Crisis.

Leonard Trent retired in June 1965 and lived in Australia, and then New Zealand, in his later years.

Three years later, his father paid for Trent to take a short flight in a Gipsy Moth piloted by Malcolm C McGregor, a fighter ace of the First World War, and subsequently Trent became interested in flying.

Leonard Trent was educated at Nelson College, boarding at the school from 1928.

Leonard Trent had intended to go to university to study dentistry, but the family could not afford to pay for his studies and he instead took up a position as a clerk in the administrative office of an abattoir in Hastings.

Leonard Trent gave up the work after a year and returned to Nelson to assist his father in his dental practice.

Leonard Trent was earning enough money that he could afford to go to night school and study aero engineering and maintenance.

In early 1937, in response to an advertisement in a newspaper, Leonard Trent applied for a short-term commission in the Royal Air Force.

Leonard Trent then undertook flight training at the RNZAF's Wigram Air Base in Christchurch, flying Avro 626 and Vickers Vildebeest aircraft.

Leonard Trent gained his wings on 12 May 1938 and a month later he sailed for Britain to join the RAF.

Leonard Trent was granted a short-service commission of five years in the rank of pilot officer on 23 August 1938.

Leonard Trent flew his first mission into Germany on 24 September 1939, No 15 Squadron's first operational sortie of the war.

On his return to duty, Leonard Trent was posted to No 17 Operational Training Unit, stationed at Upwood, as an instructor.

Leonard Trent taught trainees formation flying and made navigational flights in Avro Ansons.

Leonard Trent had the opportunity to fly other aircraft; these included the Wellington bomber.

In March 1941, his flight lieutenant rank was made substantive and six months later Leonard Trent received a new posting at the Operational Training Squadron at Warboys.

Leonard Trent helped assess the Douglas Boston bomber for service in the RAF; on his first flight in the aircraft, it suffered an engine fire forcing an immediate return to his base.

Leonard Trent returned to operational duty in March 1942 and, promoted to temporary squadron leader on 1 June, was assigned to Headquarters, No 2 Group RAF.

Leonard Trent found the duty dull and began to seek a position at No 88 Squadron where a friend of his was the squadron leader.

Leonard Trent, still hoping for a posting to No 88 Squadron, was instead sent to No 487 Squadron as one of its flight commanders.

The twelve participating Venturas, led by Leonard Trent, were to cross the Dutch coast at sea level, escorted by six squadrons of Supermarine Spitfires.

Only Leonard Trent successfully completed his run, and in doing so shot down one Bf 109 with the forward machine guns of his Ventura.

Leonard Trent was sent to Stalag Luft III, a POW camp well to the southeast of Berlin, in what is Zagan, in Poland.

Leonard Trent soon became involved in the various escape attempts mounted by the POWs, helping conceal the sand extracted from tunnels that were under construction.

Leonard Trent took part in the "Great Escape" of 24 March 1944.

Leonard Trent was the 79th POW to pass through the escape tunnel, just behind Shand.

However, as he was exiting the tunnel, a German guard thwarted his escape and Leonard Trent was recaptured almost immediately and placed in solitary confinement.

Leonard Trent wanted to pursue a career in the military and felt that the RNZAF offered better remuneration and promotion opportunities than the RAF.

On his return to duty, Leonard Trent had provided a written debrief on the Ramrod 16 raid.

The citation for Leonard Trent's VC was published in the London Gazette and read:.

On 3 May 1943, Squadron Leader Leonard Trent was detailed to lead a formation of Ventura aircraft in a daylight attack on the power station at Amsterdam.

Squadron Leader Leonard Trent continued on his course with the remaining three aircraft, and in a short time two more Venturas went down in flames.

Heedless of the murderous attacks and of the heavy anti-aircraft fire which was now encountered, Squadron Leader Leonard Trent completed an accurate bombing run, and even shot down a Messerschmitt at point blank range.

On this, his twenty-fourth sortie, Squadron Leader Leonard Trent showed outstanding leadership.

Leonard Trent returned to England with his family, which now included a son, in late 1947 and resumed his career in the RAF with the substantive rank of flight lieutenant.

Leonard Trent was posted to Bircham Newton, a Transport Command station, as an instructor to help prepare students to fly Dakotas.

Leonard Trent flew several operations during the Berlin airlift but soon began to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis which required specialist treatment for a few months before he could return to duty.

Now posted to Flying Training Command, in August 1950 Leonard Trent undertook refresher and leadership courses before going on to Central Flying School early the following year.

Leonard Trent returned to Feltwell, where he had been based while at No 487 Squadron, in March 1951.

Leonard Trent was chief instructor at No 3 Flying Training School, teaching students to fly the Harvard trainer.

Not long afterwards, in early 1954, with the flight school having re-equipped with Vampires, Leonard Trent had to again bail out when he lost control of his aircraft.

In early 1956, after attending a six-month course at No 6 Flying College Course at Manby, Leonard Trent was appointed commander of No 214 Squadron, which was the first unit to be equipped with the new Vickers Valiant.

Leonard Trent was appointed station commander at RAF Wittering in April 1960.

Leonard Trent then served as an air attache, representing Bomber Command at the British Embassy in Washington, DC from mid-1962, and on 12 June the same year, he was appointed an air aide-de-camp to the Queen.

Leonard Trent died on 19 May 1986 at North Shore Hospital, survived by his wife and two children.

Leonard Trent was cremated and his ashes were taken to Western Australia, where they were interred at Fremantle Cemetery alongside those of his daughter, Judith, who had predeceased him.

Leonard Trent's medals, including the VC, are held by the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram in Christchurch.