Leonard Cheshire
Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire c.1945
Born	7 September 1917(1917-09-07) Chester, England
Died	71 October 1992 (aged 75)
Known for	VC winner, Charitable organizations
Occupation	Aviator, author, spokesperson, humanitarian
Spouse	Constance Binney Sue Ryder
Children	Jeromy and Elizabeth Cheshire

Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, VC, OM, DSO and Two Bars, DFC (7 September 1917 – 31 July 1992) was a British RAF pilot during the Second World War who received the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. After the war he became a charity worker, setting up: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... , For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... “UK” redirects here. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... Constance Binney (June 28, 1896 - November 15, 1989) was an American stage and film actress and dancer. ... Margaret Susan Ryder (July 3, 1923 - November 2, 2000), later Baroness Ryder, was a British peer who worked with Special Operations Executive in the World War II and afterwards led many charitable organizations, notably the Sue Ryder charity named after her. ... A Group Captains sleeve/shoulder insignia Group Captain (Gp Capt in the RAF, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former RCAF) is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... For other Orders see Order of Merit (disambiguation). ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... This article is about the awards given by various British Commonwealth countres. ... is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... is the 212th day of the year (213th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... “RAF” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ... The Commonwealth of Nations as of 2006 Headquarters Marlborough House, London, UK Official languages English Membership 53 sovereign states Leaders  -  Queen Elizabeth II  -  Secretary-General Don McKinnon (since 1 April 2000) Establishment  -  Balfour Declaration 18 November 1926   -  Statute of Westminster 11 December 1931   -  London Declaration 28 April 1949  Area  -  Total... A charitable organization (also known as a charity) is a trust, company or unincorporated association established for charitable purposes only. ...

• The Cheshire Foundation Homes for the Sick for disabled people (later known as The Leonard Cheshire Foundation)
• Leonard Cheshire Centre for Conflict Recovery
• Ryder-Cheshire Foundation
• Ryder-Cheshire Volunteers, and
• The Memorial Fund for Disaster Relief

Early life

Leonard Cheshire was the son of Professor Geoffrey Chevalier Cheshire, DCL, LLD, FBA, a barrister, academic and influential writer on English law. He had one brother, Christopher Cheshire, who also became a wartime pilot. Cheshire was born in Chester but was brought up at his parents' home near Oxford. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, Stowe School and Merton College, Oxford. While at Oxford, he was bet half a pint that he could not walk to Paris. With no more than a few pennies and a pocket handkerchief he won his bet. He graduated in Jurisprudence in 1939. Professor Geoffrey Chevalier Cheshire, DCL, LLD, FBA (27 June 1886–27 October 1978) was an English barrister, scholar and influential writer on law. ... Some universities, such as the University of Oxford, award Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) degrees instead of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degrees. ... Doctor of Laws (Latin: Legum Doctor, LL.D) is a doctorate-level academic degree in law. ... Fellows of the British Academy (FBA). ... , For the larger local government district, see Chester (district). ... This article is about the city of Oxford in England. ... Dragon School logo School House at the Dragon School, on Bardwell Road. ... Stowe School is a famous British independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire, referred to as a public school. ... and of the Merton College College name The House of Scholars of Merton Named after Walter de Merton Established 1264 Sister college Peterhouse, Cambridge Warden Prof. ... For the jurisprudence of courts, see Case law. ...

Military career

After the outbreak of the World War II, Cheshire applied for a commission in the Royal Air Force and was initially posted in June 1940 to 102 Squadron, flying Whitley medium bombers. In November 1940 he was awarded the DSO for flying his badly damaged bomber back to base. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... No. ...

In January 1941 he completed his tour of operations but then volunteered straight away for a second tour. He was posted to No. 35 squadron with the brand new Handley Page Halifax, and completed his second tour early in 1942, by now a Squadron Leader. August 1942 saw a return to operations as CO of 76 Squadron. The Squadron had recently suffered high losses operating the Halifax, and Cheshire immediately tackled the low morale of the unit by ordering an improvement in the performance of the squadron aircraft by removing the mid-upper and nose turrets, exhaust covers and other weighty non-essential equipment. This allowed the bombers to fly higher and faster. Losses soon fell and morale rose accordingly. Cheshire became Station OC RAF Marston Moor in March as the youngest Group Captain in the RAF, though the job was never to his liking and he pushed for a return to an operational command. These efforts paid off with a posting to succeed Wing Commander Guy Gibson as commander of the legendary 617 Dambusters Squadron in the September 1943. The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engine heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. ... A Squadron Leaders sleeve/shoulder insignia Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF, SQNLDR in the RNZAF and RAAF and S/L in the former RCAF) is a commissioned rank in some air forces. ... Photo from 617 Squadron The dambusters Photo submitted by Roger Shenton - (taken by John Kramer) Photo of the Dambusters Memorial at Woodhall Spa. ... For the video game see The Dam Busters (video game) No. ... Combatants No. ...

While with 617 Cheshire helped pioneer a new method of marking enemy targets for Bomber Command's 5 Group, flying in at a very low level in the face of strong defences, using first, the versatile Mosquito, then a "borrowed" P-51 Mustang fighter. This development work was the subject of some severe intra-service politics, as Cheshire was encouraged by his 5 Group Commander Air Vice-Marshal Ralph Cochrane, although the 8 Group Pathfinder AOC Air Vice-Marshal Don Bennett saw this work as impinging on the responsibilities of his own command. The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflicts most successful and recognizable aircraft. ... An Air Vice Marshals sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Vice Marshal is the third most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the inactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. ... Sir Ralph Alexander Cochrane GBE KCB CBE (24 February 1895–17 December 1977) was a British pilot and Royal Air Force officer, perhaps best known for his role in Operation Chastise–the famous Dambusters raid. ... Air Officer Commanding (AOC) is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth (and some other) nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. ... Air Vice-Marshal Donald Bennett (September 14, 1910–September 15, 1986) was an Australian aviation pioneer and bomber pilot who rose to be the youngest Air Vice-Marshal in the history of the Royal Air Force and led the Pathfinder Force (No. ...

Cheshire was nearing the end of his fourth tour of duty in July 1944, having completed a total of 102 missions, when he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He was the only one of the 32 VC airmen to win the medal for an extended period of sustained courage and outstanding effort, rather than a single act of valour. His citation noted: Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Victoria Cross (disambiguation). ...

"In four years of fighting against the bitterest opposition he maintained a standard of outstanding personal achievement, his successful operations being the result of careful planning, brilliant execution and supreme contempt for danger – for example, on one occasion he flew his P-51 Mustang in slow figures of 8 above a target obscured by low cloud, to act as a bomb-aiming mark for his squadron. Cheshire displayed the courage and determination of an exceptional leader." It also noted a raid in which he had marked a target, flying a Mosquito at low level against "withering fire."

Cheshire was, in his day, both the youngest Group Captain in the service and, following his VC, the most decorated.

Change of direction

On his 103rd mission, he was official British observer of the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki flying in the support B-29 The Great Artiste. Although he did not directly witness the event due to a navigational error, .^{[citation needed]} the event profoundly changed him. He was quoted as saying: "...then I for one hold little brief for the future of civilization"^[1] On his return from the mission he left the RAF and went home to his house, Le Court in Hampshire. The mushroom cloud over Hiroshima after the dropping of Little Boy. ... Nagasaki ) ( ) is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan. ... The Great Artiste, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-29 bomber, was the regular aircraft of Major Charles Sweeney who piloted Bockscar to drop the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki on the 9 August 1945. ...

While deciding what he should do with the rest of his life, he heard about the case of Arthur Dykes, who had been one of Leonard's original 'VIP' community at Le Court, Hampshire and was suffering from cancer. Dykes asked Cheshire to give him some land to park a caravan until he recovered, but Cheshire discovered that Dykes was terminally ill and that this fact had been concealed from him. He told Dykes the real position and invited him to stay at Le Court. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ...

Cheshire learned nursing skills and was soon approached to take in a second patient, the 94-year-old bedridden wife of a man whose own frailness meant he could no longer care for her himself. She was followed by others, some coming to stay and others to help. Although Le Court had no financial support, and was financially perilous most of the time, money somehow always seemed to arrive in the nick of time to stave off disaster. By the time Arthur Dykes died in 1948, there were 24 people staying at Le Court.

On Dykes's death, Cheshire, a lapsed Christian but one whose faith had been stirring for a while, sat by his bed and picked up the Bible. Soon afterwards he converted to the Roman Catholic Church. Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Cheshire dedicated the rest of his life to supporting disabled people, combining this with lecturing on conflict resolution.

Charitable life

In 1948, he founded The Cheshire Foundation Homes for the Sick, which, in 1976, became the Leonard Cheshire Foundation, now styled Leonard Cheshire, which continues his work to support disabled people globally. Year 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

It provides support to disabled people through a variety of different services including care at home, residential care and training and developing to disabled people throughout the world. It is described on its factsheet as "the UK’s leading voluntary sector provider of support services for disabled people". Its goal is to change attitudes to disability and to serve disabled people around the world (^[2]). A recent controversy has broken out when efforts to change the charity's name were suggested. ^[3]

Private life

On 15 July 1941 Cheshire married an American actress, Constance Binney, but this marriage was short-lived. Then, on 5 April 1959, in Bombay's Catholic Cathedral, he married Sue Ryder, also the founder of a charity; they had two children, Jeromy and Elizabeth Cheshire and lived in Cavendish, Suffolk. is the 196th day of the year (197th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Constance Binney (June 28, 1896 - November 15, 1989) was an American stage and film actress and dancer. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section should be merged with Mumbai Mumbai (previously known as Bombay) is the worlds most populous conurbation, and is the sixth most populous agglomeration in the world. ... Margaret Susan Ryder (July 3, 1923 - November 2, 2000), later Baroness Ryder, was a British peer who worked with Special Operations Executive in the World War II and afterwards led many charitable organizations, notably the Sue Ryder charity named after her. ... Cavendish is the name of a picturesque village in the Stour Valley in Suffolk, England. ...

In 1950 he became one of the vice presidents of the Eagle Club, one of Britain's most popular juvenile publications of the 1950s.

Honours and tributes

In 1991 he was given a life peerage as Baron Cheshire, of Woodhall in the County of Lincolnshire, sitting as a cross-bencher. He lived through his final illness (motor neurone disease) with exemplary spiritual fortitude. For other places with the same name, see Lincolnshire (disambiguation). ... A cross-bencher is a member of the British House of Lords who is not aligned to any particular party. ... The motor neurone diseases (MND) are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing. ...

Queen Elizabeth II paid personal tribute to him in her Christmas message to the Commonwealth in December 1992. In the 2002 BBC poll to find the 100 Greatest Britons, Cheshire attained position #31. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum (London, England). Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... // In 2002, the BBC conducted a vote to determine whom the general public considers the 100 Greatest Britons of all time. ... The Imperial War Museum is a museum in London featuring military vehicles, weapons, war memorabilia, a library, a photographic archive, and an art collection of 20th century and later conflicts, especially those involving Britain, and the British Empire. ...

Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters once described Cheshire as "the only true Christian I've ever met." Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... George Roger Waters (born September 6, 1943) is an English rock musician; singer, guitarist, bassist, songwriter, and composer. ...

References

Notes

Bibliography

The term The Dam Busters, when used by itself, can refer to: Operation Chastise, 617 Squadrons attack on German dams in World War II The 1951 book, The Dam Busters (book) by Paul Brickhill. ... Monuments To Courage is a book by David Harvey, published in 1999. ... The Register of the Victoria Cross A list of all 1350 Victoria Crosses with details of each recipient ISBN 0906324033 Publisher: Cheltenham: This England Books; 1981 Size: 8vo - over 7 3/4 - 9 3/4 Pagination: 303 + 4. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Suffolk)
• History of the Leonard Cheshire charity
• Ryder Cheshire
• Image of Cheshire's Medals
• Sue Ryder of Cavendish - Richard North