Leslie L. Boyd was born in Merrick County, Nebraska on February 27, 1923. His parents were Cecil Leonard Boyd (11 Feb 1894 - unk) and Lavon M. (Barnum) Boyd (22 Jan 1896 - Dec 1977).
His father was an express office agent for the Union Pacific Railroad in Central City, Nebraska. He had three siblings: William N. 'Bill' Boyd (29 Jul 1921 - 26 Feb 2005), Maxine (Boyd) Dobb (abt 1917 - unk), and Barbara (Boyd) Hahn (abt Jan 1919 - unk). Leslie Boyd's home of record in 1944 was his mother's address at 218 West 2nd Street, Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska.
He completed Army Air Forces radio school and was assigned as radio operator on the heavy bomber crew of Lt Thomas Womer. In December 1943, the Womer crew began B-24 crew training at Davis-Monthan Field in Tucson, Arizona. In January 1944, the Womer crew was assigned to the 838th Bomb Squadron of the 487th Bomb Group at Alamogordo Army Air Base, New Mexico. There it completed B-24 combat crew training, and deployed with the Group to England in March-April 1944. The crew flew B-24H 42-52662 overseas. The 487th Bomb Group was based at Army Air Forces Station 137, near the village of Lavenham, Suffolk, England, and was part of the 8th U.S. Army Air Force in Europe.
Sometime after arrival at Station 137, he was reassigned to the crew of Lt Arthur D. Erwin in the 838th Bomb Squadron. S/Sgt Boyd and seven of his crew mates were killed in action on June 20, 1944, when their aircraft, B-24H 42-95217, was shot down by flak on the mission to bomb an oil refinery at Misburg, near Hannover, Germany.
After the war, his remains were returned to the United States and reinterred at Central City Cemetery in Central City, Merrick County, Nebraska.
Airmen who perished on B-24H 42-95217:
Boyd, Leslie L ~ S/Sgt, Radio Operator, NE
Erwin, Arthur D ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, AR
Kussy, Leroy S, Jr ~ Sgt, Waist Gunner, IL
Lumpkin, Claude L ~ S/Sgt, Nose Gunner, TX
Mackie, Thomas S ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, PA
Mass, Rubie R ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, IL
Musser, Elmer G ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IL
Rosenberger, Jearold ~ S/Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, IL
Airman who became a POW from B-24H 42-95217:
Ross, Albert L – S/Sgt – Tail Turret Gunner
Source of information: Paul M. Webber, Russell S. "Russ" Pickett, www.findagrave.com