Leonard Herbert Emsden
Sergeant Leonard Herbert Emsden was an observer and gunner aboard Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b two-seater airplanes. He began scoring aerial victories during March 1917, continued winning through Bloody April, and capped his career as a flying ace with three victories on 1 May 1917. He was credited with a total of eight confirmed aerial triumphs.
Early life
His birthplace is known to be Bosmere, Suffolk, England. His parents were Laura Gant and John Arthur Emsden, who were married in Elmsett, Suffolk, England in 1888. Leonard was the middle child of five in this family, having two elder sisters and two younger brothers. They were orphaned when their father died on 7 February 1898. Laura Emsden would remarry within a year, and supply another daughter to the brood.World War I
Emsden volunteered to join the military in 1914 during World War I to serve his country, and was sent to France in 1915. As a sergeant with the Bedfordshire Regiment, and after 79 commissioned officers were killed in one day, he personally led three bayonet charges up Hill 60 at the Second Battle of Ypres, taking his objective at the third attempt. He also served with distinction at the battles of the Somme, Cambrai, and St. Quentin. Having survived those battles, he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps.He ended up in the Royal Flying Corps as an aircraft mechanic in No. 25 Squadron. He became a gunner on the unit's Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2b pusher aircraft. As the gunner's duties were described:
From March through May 1917, Emsden was an Air Mechanic 2nd Class assigned to observer/gunner's duty. He was already an ace on 1 May, when he scored two victories on a morning sortie and a third one in the afternoon. He was wounded in action in the hand. His valorous feats would earn him the Distinguished Conduct Medal, which was gazetted on 18 June 1917:
Emsden would subsequently be promoted to corporal, then to sergeant before returning home.
List of aerial victories
| No. | Date/time | Aircraft | Foe | Result | Location | Notes |
| 1 | 4 March 1917 @ 1115 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b Serial number 7693 | LVG two-seater | Destroyed | Courrières, France | Pilot: Reginald Malcolm. Victory shared with William Drummond Matheson and observer, two other air crews |
| 2 | 17 March 1917 @ 1115 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 6940 | Albatros D.III fighter | Set afire in midair | Between Oppy, Pas-de-Calais and Beaumont, France | Pilot: H. E. Davis |
| 3 | 17 March 1917 @ 1725 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 7683 | Albatros D.III fighter | Driven down out of control | Arras, France | Pilot: James Leith Leith |
| 4 | 6 April 1917 @ 1045 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 4847 | Halberstadt fighter | Destroyed | East of Vimy, France | Pilot: B. King |
| 5 | 13 April 1917 @ 1930 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n A6383 | Albatros D.III fighter | Destroyed | Hénin-Liétard, France | Pilot: Reginald Malcolm |
| 6 | 1 May 1917 @ 0620 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 7672 | Albatros D.III fighter | Destroyed | Izel-lès-Hameau, France | Pilot: Reginald Malcolm |
| 7 | 1 May 1917 @ 0645 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 7672 | Albatros D.III fighter | Captured | West of Lens, France | Pilot: Reginald Malcolm |
| 8 | 1 May 1918 @ 1800 hours | Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2b s/n 7672 | Albatros D.III fighter | Set afire in midair | Bois-Bernard, France | Pilot: Reginald Malcolm |