Battle of Britain London Monument – P/O G L Barker 
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Privacy Statement The Airmen’s Stories – P/O G L Barker
George Leonard Barker from Diss, Norfolk joined the RAF in September 1934 as an Aircrafthand and served in Palestine as an LAC in the thirties. He later remustered as an Airman u/t Observer. In early 1940 he was serving with 59 Squadron, Coastal Command as a Sergeant.
On 6th July Barker volunteered to fly with a new pilot on his first operational sortie. They were attacked by two Me109’s for a period of 15 minutes. With great coolness, although the rear gun had been put out of action, Barker assisted the gunner in telling the pilot what tactics to employ. For this action he was awarded the DFM (gazetted 13th September 1940).
Commissioned in late August, he was posted to 600 Squadron on 7th September 1940. Barker was with 85 Squadron at Debden and Hunsdon from March to June 1941 and from 8th November he was attached to 456(RAAF) Squadron at Valley to instruct the squadron’s radar operators. In August 1942 Barker was promoted to Flight Lieutenant.
At some time after this he went for pilot training and qualified. In July 1944 he was attached to 51 OTU. During the evening of the 18th, Barker’s Beaufighter, R2080, crashed into anti-V1 balloon cables over Kent. He was killed when the aircraft crashed at Weike Farm, Kingsdown. The navigator survived.
Barker was 30. He is buried in Diss Cemetery.
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