My great aunt Jose's first husband was Leonard
Edward Moss. His plane was shot down in World War 2 on 28 August 1942 and he died along
with his 6 crewmates. Their plane was discovered in May 2005 and excavated. Unidentified
human remains were discovered in it of 3 men. If some of those remains were not
Len's, then he was one of those unidentified, buried at the time the plane crashed.
A formal funeral was held in Delden, Holland on 28 August 2006
Link to story here.
Jose was 5 months pregnant with their child when Len went missing and she lost the baby
the same month as losing Len.
Great uncle Bob Johnston R.N.Z.A.F visiting Christchurch, New Zealand 1945 - with his sister Doris [my grandmother]
Len's friend Robert 'Bob' JOHNSTON (my grandmothers brother) made a pact with Len to look after his (Len's) wife (Jose) if anything was to happen to him, they were already friends. Bob, a wireless operator and tail gunner was himself shot down twice during the war.
After Len's death, their friendship deepened and Jose and Bob married on 11 September 1943 at the Coventry Registry Office, Coventry, England. This marriage produced 2 children, Robert Jnr. and Gillian.
Coventry remained their home with Bob dying 20 February 1993 and Jose 10
March 1999.
Thanks go to Zoe Linkson for the photograph of Leonard Moss, for finding me via my website; alerting me to www.rootschat.com and its loyal followers and the hunt for Leonards
family.
Sarndra
~LINKS~
Archive report: Allied Forces 1939-45
Short article with a photo of the coffin bearing the remains found in the plane
Len's Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
1979 - Jose and Bob with their granddaughter
Zoe, England
1945 New Zealand visit - Jose with second husband Bob
(left) and brother in law Norman Johnston
1945 New Zealand visit - Jose (far right) with her sister in
law (my grandmother) Doris KENNEDY and Doris' children Dorothy (standing), Bruce (sitting
on pram) and John (babe in pram)
1945 New Zealand visit - My grandfather (left) John (Jock)
KENNEDY with his brother in law Bob JOHNSTON