The story behind the antics of Leo the pilot-scaring Lion (Episode 7 ‘Leo and the Gold Smugglers’) is likely to resonate with anyone who served in the forces.
When ferry pilots took off from El Fasher, Sudan along the Takoradi Route, to their alarm they might see a lion grab the ‘chocks’ from under their plane wheels.
War and humour seem an unlikely combination, but if my father spoke about his time during WW2 it was the pranks, the quirks and funny things that happened. These helped him and others endure what seems unendurable.
In my research into Leo, I discovered that after a visiting senior RAF chief was ‘scared to jelly’ by the young lion, he wanted to pull rank and put a stop to the troops’ entertainment. It’s”…damned dangerous,” he huffed.
His ‘orders’ were quietly ignored.
Keeping the morale up of the young RAF mechanics who endured searing heat, few diversions and loneliness thousands of mile from home was more important.
I was delighted to find a picture of Leo after a lot of searching. The Pan Am Historical Foundation website is well worth a visit.
Leo the Lion (centre foreground) is pictured by a Bristol Blenheim at El Fasher (Source Pan Am Historical Foundation)