Leonard Henry Trent | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Leonard Trent, 1946, by William Dring | |
| Born | 14 April 1915 Nelson, New Zealand |
| Died | 19 May 1986 (aged 71) Takapuna, New Zealand |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom New Zealand |
| Service/ | Royal Air Force (1938–1945; 1948–1965) Royal New Zealand Air Force (1946–1947) |
| Years of service | 1938–1965 |
| Rank | Group Captain |
| Unit | No. 487 (NZ) Squadron |
| Commands held | No. 214 Squadron (1956–1958) RAF Wittering (1960–1962) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Suez Crisis |
| Awards | Victoria Cross Distinguished Flying Cross |
Group Captain Leonard Henry Trent, VC, DFC (14 April 1915 – 19 May 1986) was a New Zealand aviator, senior Royal Air Force officer, and recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.
Born in Nelson, Trent obtained a short-term commission in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1938 after receiving flying training in New Zealand. After travelling to England, he was posted to No. 15 Squadron RAF and was sent to France shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, flying Fairey Battles on photo-reconnaissance missions into Germany. After his squadron returned to England and converted to Bristol Blenheims, he flew several bombing missions during the Battle of France for which he was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Afterwards he spent several months on instructing duties before being posted to No. 487 (NZ) Squadron in August 1942, which operated Lockheed Venturas. He was shot down over Amsterdam while on a bombing mission, codenamed Operation Ramrod 16, on 3 May 1943, becoming a prisoner of war.
After the war, he was awarded the VC for his actions during Ramrod 16. He continued to serve with the RAF and was commander of No. 214 Squadron during the Suez Crisis. He retired in June 1965 and lived in Australia, and then New Zealand, in his later years. He died in 1986, aged 71.