Born in 1899 at Hursley, Hampshire, only child of William Josiah (Hemp Merchants Clerk, but later an Assistant Cashier in Printing & Stationery Business) and Elizabeth Stagg. 1901: With his family in Tottenham. 1911: A Scholar with his family at 12 Oxford Road, Snakes Lane, Woodford Green. The family home was later at 2 Claremont Grove, Woodford Green. He was educated at Poplar School of Engineering and Navigation, and joined the Royal Flying Corps in November 1917. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant on 21st July 1918, he was sent as a Probationary Observer to 99 Squadron at Dieuze in France.
On 31st July 1918 at 05.30, 12 DH9 aircraft left Dieuze on a bombing mission to Mainz. Mechanical problems forced three to return to the airfield. Near Saarburg the remaining 9 aircraft were bounced by 40 German fighter aircraft. The decision was taken to divert the raid to a secondary target at Saarbrucken, but 4 aircraft were lost en route; although 5 machines managed to bomb Saarbrucken, three of them were lost while returning to Dieuze. Only 2 machines survived the raid.
Leslie Stagg was flying in DH9 C6149, piloted by 2nd Lt T. M. Ritchie. When they were shot down, Stagg was killed, while Ritchie survived to become a Prisoner of War.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com
History of 99 Squadron - S/L L.A. Pattinson DSO MC DFC