World War II Honoree

Leo Merrill Davenport

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Manhattan, Kansas

Honored By

Warren W. Davenport & Monica Davenport Rose

Relationship

Brother & Niece

AVIATION RADIOMAN 2ND CLASS. SERVED FROM 12/8/41 TO 12/43. AFTER ENLISTING IN KANSAS CITY HE WENT TO BOOT CAMP IN CALIFORNIA AND THEN ON TO RADIO OPERATOR'S SCHOOL. UPON COMPLETION OF THAT SCHOOLING HE WAS STATIONED AT BANANA RIVER, FLORIDA WHERE HE WAS TRAINED IN AERIAL FREE GUNNERY. ARMED WITH SUCH SKILLS HE WENT ON SUBMARINE PATROL SERVING AS A RADIO OPERATOR ON A PBY OFF THE EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES. THEN HE WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 9TH NAVAL AIR COMMAND AND WAS STATIONED IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF ENGLAND ON THE NAVY'S VERSION OF THE B-24 BOMBER. THE B-24 COULD TRAVEL LONGER AND FURTHER THAN ANY OTHER BOMBING AIRCRAFT OF THE TIME. HIS DUTY WAS TO PATROL FOR SUBMARINES BY TRAVELING SOUTH ALONG THE WEST COAST OF EUROPE TO THE STRAITS OF GIBRALTER. WHILE MAKING A BOMBING RUN ON A GERMAN SUBMARINE IN DECEMBER 1943, HE WAS KILLED BY ANTI-AIRCRAFT OVER THE BAY OF BISCAY. HIS AIRCRAFT SUNK THE GERMAN SUBMARINE AND RETURNED TO ITS HOME BASE ON A 'WING AND A PRAYER'.