Charles Wesley Leake was born on May 7, 1920, in Markham, Morgan County, Illinois. He was the son of James Eldin Leake and Floa F. Schafer Leake. He completed 15 missions before being detached from service with the 305th Bomber Group. He served in the 422nd Bomber Squadron, 305th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a First Lieutenant and Navigator of B-17G #42-97578 during World War II.

On March 24, 1944, B-17G #42-97578 was lost in a tragic accident shortly after taking off from RAF Chelveston in Bedfordshire, England. The aircraft, a radar-equipped Pathfinder (PFF) lead plane, was being ferried to Deenethorpe, where a more experienced crew from the 401st Bomb Group was scheduled to use it to lead a bombing mission to Schweinfurt the following day. In the early morning hours, the aircraft departed Chelveston, heavily loaded with fuel and bombs. Assigned to ferry the plane, they faced the added difficulty of a nighttime takeoff from a relatively short runway, conditions made even more challenging by the aircraft’s full load. As the B-17 accelerated, it failed to gain sufficient flying speed and was unable to climb properly. Moments later, it went down just north of Yelden Church, crashing into nearby buildings in the village. The impact was devastating. All eleven crew members on board, including a trainee crew chief, were killed instantly. The crash also struck a barracks housing personnel of the 1121st Quartermaster Company, killing eight U.S. servicemen who were asleep at the time. Additionally, two local children lost their lives, while several others on the ground were seriously injured but survived.

1Lt Leake was Killed in Action and is now buried in the Diamond Grove Cemetery, Jacksonville, Morgan County, Illinois, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, americanarchive.iwm.org.uk