“Joe” Leigh was posted to 7 OTU, Hawarden on 31 August 1940, and after converting to Spitfires he joined No 64 Squadron at Leconfield and flew his first operational sortie on 29 September.
He moved to No 72 Squadron at Biggin Hill on 11 October and then to No 611 Squadron at Digby on 8 November 1940. He shared in the destruction of a Do 17 on 21 December.
Leigh shared in probably destroying a Bf 109 on 28 May 1941, destroyed a Bf 109 and probably another on 18 June, got a probable Bf 109 on the 22nd, probably destroyed another and damaged a second on 4 July, probably destroyed another on the 23rd and destroyed two more on 19 August and 4 September.
He was awarded the DFM on 9 September and at that point had taken part in 50 sweeps over the continent. He was commissioned and became an instructor.
Leigh was posted to Gibraltar in April 1943, from where he ferried Hurricanes to Cairo. In early August he returned to the UK and joined No 56 Squadron at Manston. He was shot down on his first sweep, by flak, near Calais. Leigh baled out into the Channel and was picked up by an ASR launch.
In late 1943 he was posted to No 129 Squadron at Hornchurch, awarded the DFC and, after completing his second tour, had another spell as an instructor.
In December 1945 Joe Leigh was released from the RAF. He later started a successful architectural hardware business in Norwich. He died on 3 July 2004.
