04 October 2009

Could this be Lionel Leveret Ogier?

Addendum 24 May 2014:
It has now been confirmed by a family member that this is not a photo of Lionel Leveret OGIER.

lionel-leveret lionel-leveret-back

So far Lionel Leveret has beaten me! I have not been able to find anyone by that name on any birth, marriage, death or census anywhere other than the name of a character in an 1873 comedy “Old Soldiers” by Henry James Byron.

The man in the photograph does seem to be rather theatrical in his pose so perhaps he is just an actor. However, I did find mention of a Lionel Leveret Ogier but he too is rather elusive.
Dating the photograph is harder than I thought although I did find that William Smith, photographer of Leeds, was in practice in the 1880s, that doesn’t help much!

While searching for Lionel Leveret I found Lionel Leveret(t) Ogier in an online gazette here:-

The appointment of the following Officers, who have been admitted to the Indian Army on probation, is confirmed from the dates specified:-
Lionel Leverett Ogier - 22nd Nov 1918

There is only one entry for Lionel Ogier in FreeBMD:-

Marriages Sep 1919
Ogier  Lionel L  Owen  Stourbridge  6c 93   
Owen  Dorothy G E  Ogier  Stourbridge  6c 93

And this on the Runnymede Roll of Honour Memorial, panel 71:-

OGIER, MICHAEL OWEN. Pilot Officer, 102584.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. 77 Squadron, Royal Air Force.
Died 12 March 1942. Aged 20.
Son of Lionel Leverett Ogier and Dorothy Gwynedd Eardley Ogier of East Hanningfield, Essex.
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Panel 71.
Based at R.A.F. Leeming, Yorkshire, 77 Squadron, R.A.F. lost two Whitley bombers on the same mission to Emden, Germany when Michael died, in addition to which 58 Squadron, R.A.F. also lost a Whitley. Carried out by 20 Wellingtons and 20 Whitleys the raid was not a success, and bombing photographs indicated that the nearest bombs were 5 miles from the designated target. Cause of loss of Michaels aircraft Z9293 KN-D is still recorded as cause unknown, the squadrons other aircraft Z9312 KN-? is presumed to have crashed in the North Sea, from where one of the crew’s bodies was washed ashore, it too is recorded in the same category as Michaels. Whitley bomber Z9293 KN-D was originally a No.102 Squadron, Royal Air Force aircraft, prior to going on the operational strength of No. 77 Squadron, Royal Air Force.

In Memory of
Pilot Officer MICHAEL OWEN OGIER
102584, 77 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 20
on 12 March 1942
Son of Lionel Leverett Ogier and Dorothy Gwynedd Eardley Ogier, of East Hanningfield, Essex.
Remembered with honour
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Runnymede Memorial March 2007

Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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That’s it I’m afraid, not much to go on for this photograph. If you have a Lionel Leveret or Lionel Leveret Ogier in your family and can identify the man please contact me, I’d love to hear from you.

 

Dawn Scotting
pandora@kc.net.nz

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