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Barnes. He was given responsibility for the 450 London balloons, for the movement of the numerous extra squadrons of them that they were assembling and seconding overseas; and for the planning and siting of any new barrages that were established at home. Another responsibility was the
Channel Convoy;
165:
t Under his editorship, it became "a lively, absorbing journal of 200 sleek pages...packed with banking lore, poetry, literary articles, short stories and urbane correspondence, eagerly awaited and read by bankers all over the world." The
December issues of the magazine became referred to as: "Uncle
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in strength. Bonnet worked hard to improve the administration of the service – when he arrived, he found that their filing system consisted of only one file entitled "General
Matters". He learnt Chinese and became a great enthusiast for traditional Chinese drama. "At first the Chinese gave him the
267:
name 'Pa-nai' (the industrious professor) but soon this was changed to 'Pa-na-ta' (he who is susceptible to every moral influence)" The
Mission eventually succeeded in making the Chinese Air Force an effective fighting Force; however, it later deserted to the
315:, where they had bought a ramshackle manor house with about 25 acres. They had 5 children including Lesley (b. 1944), Villette (b. 1945), Alice (b. 1947), Caroline (b. 1948) and Tom (b. 1951) and later numerous grandchildren.
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to operate as an independent service, rather than a branch of the Army as previously. Unofficially, the
Chinese invited the British to counteract the influence of the Americans, who were establishing themselves in
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Operations
Officers who operated the Balloons and next to 902 Squadron, Blackheath. Late in 1940, he was posted as second in command to 905, the West End Squadron. His next posting was to
519:
122:, England. His father was a bank manager in London's Chancery Lane; his mother was one of the Dudleys, a Staffordshire farming family He succeeded in winning a scholarship to
684:
173:
In 1938 he joined the
Balloon Barrage, the only military service opened to someone at his advanced age. On 1 May 1939 he left the Bank and was appointed an acting
674:
459:(1978) was a retelling of one of his stories. He also acted for a time as area representative of a large unit trust company and in 1963 was acting Hon Secretary,
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for 15 years. In 1928, he married his first wife, Getrude Olive May, and had his first child, Bill, in 1930. In 1935, he was appointed the first full-time
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in
Gerrards Cross as a student, where he finished top of his class. At the beginning of 1943, he was posted to Stradishall Bomber Base in Suffolk as a
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with
Special Rosette "for distinguished services to China" With the rank of Group Captain, Bonnet took up duties as director of studies at the
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where he spent 5 months as the administrative second in command. At this time, he divorced his first wife, Getrude Olive May, and married
137:
In the depressed 1920s, graduates were a glut on the market and he took a job selling "Watford" chocolates in
Norfolk. He also stood as a
542:, Bangor. He was described in his obituary as a "countryman...rubicund, well-fleshed but never flabby, and abounding with energy".
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213:, Cottesmore, as adjutant. He returned to 30 Group, which was at this time based in Chessington, in 1941. By this time he was
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627:"Pier y Garth Bangor Garth Pier:: OS grid SH5873 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland - photograph every grid square!"
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mission returned to the UK in 1944. On a British aerodrome, the Chinese Ambassador to London awarded Bonnet the rare
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present a prize in his honour every year to someone who has made an outstanding contribution to British waterfowl.
451:(1970), which won the Maynard Cup at the Wales Final Festival of One Act Plays in 1969, as well as books such as
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in October 1947. He was offered the permanent post of adjutant to the Staff College with the peacetime rank of
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518:(1960), which was regarded as the "bible" of duck-keeping and is still in use even today. The
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322:, Bonnet had the opportunity to write; he published numerous short stories, principally for
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In late autumn of 1939, Bonnet was posted to 30 Group Headquarters in Charlotte near the
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In 1949, Bonnet and his wife and family, along with 1,500 ducks and two dogs, moved to
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Cemetery and there is woodland named in his honour close to Ymwlch, as well as a
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569:"Pa-na-ta of ducks and drakes", by J.C. Griffith Jones. WESTERN MAIL, June 1961.
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forces. Bonnet was also briefly captain of the Chinese Air Force football team.
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181:, Bethnal Green, one of the ten squadrons of barrage balloons in 30 Group of
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Leslie’s Bumper Christmas Annuals" During this period, he also published the
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578:"A Domestic history of the Bank of England", by Elizabeth Hennessy, 1992.
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134:, in 1920. He studied English and Law, obtaining a double first in 1923.
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Saundby to be part of an RAF Training Mission to Chengtu in China under
237:, whom he had originally met when she exhibited at the Bank of England.
539:
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Ch'ih Chih Yu Ku Yen Chih Ch'eng Li, (ss) English Rev Mag (UK) Mar 1950
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There are Two Sides to Every Question, (ss) Printers Prophet (UK) 1938
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Aye, and Back Again, (ss) Salmon & Trout Magazine (UK) Jan 1952
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Mr Redcoat, (ss) in J. Pudney. Pick of Today's Short Stories 1960
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60:
52:
249:"Daddy" Dawes (Head of Officers Postings at Bomber Command) and
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From a Welsh Valley, (ss) Salmon & Trout Magazine Sept 1952
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Leslie Bonnet died in December 1985, aged 83. He is buried in
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It Won't Go Any Further (ss) Veterinary Review (UK) Dec 1961
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officer, short-story writer and duck-breeder, creating the
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As a result of his work with ducks, Bonnet wrote the book
475:, Bonnet had the time to further develop his interest in
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Ch’iao-Chiao and the Bandit, (ss) Argosy (UK) Apr 1952;
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each ship in the convoy flew a balloon from its stern.
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Air, with responsibility for balloon operations, under
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The Girl in the Green Tree, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jun 1964;
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The Bounciful Bed Company, (ss) Argosy (UK) Mar 1964;
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A Wreath for Aunt Hannah, (ss) Argosy (UK) Oct 1956.
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Mr. Hedderwick's Holiday, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jul 1954;
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The Awkwardness of Chin-T’ang, (ss) Magpie Mar 1953;
605:"Winners of Wales Final Festivals of One Act Plays"
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Royal Monument Pavilion, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jul 1951;
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The General Rejoins His Army, (ss) Magpie May 1953;
257:Pattinson. The aim of the mission was to train the
685:People educated at Watford Grammar School for Boys
428:The Two Weddings of Ying Er, (ss) Magpie Aug 1951;
380:Heavenly Condescension, (ss) Argosy (UK) Aug 1964;
365:The Faithful Sing-Song Girl, (ss) Magpie Apr 1951;
419:The Ticklehampton Stone, (ss) John Bull (UK) 1955
362:The Disappointed Concubine, (ss) Magpie Sep 1952;
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510:Welsh Harlequin Duck, only true Welsh duck breed
398:Settled Out of Court, (ss) John Bull 1 Feb 1958;
404:Settled Out of Court, (ss) John Bull 1 Feb 1958
371:Game with a Goddess, (ss) Argosy (UK) May 1958;
356:Delectable Whiskers, (ss) Argosy (UK) Nov 1953;
341:Brace of Pheasants, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jan 1959;
710:20th-century Welsh dramatists and playwrights
413:The Silken Screen, (ss) Argosy (UK) Sep 1957;
359:Devoted Concubine, (ss) Argosy (UK) Oct 1951;
368:The Friendly Generals, (ss) Magpie Sep 1951;
690:Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates
675:Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge
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479:breeding. He created a new duck breed, the
461:Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales
434:White Snake Lady, (ss) Argosy (UK) Apr 1953
431:The Trigamist (ss) John Bull (UK) Sept 1955
410:Silken Portrait, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jul 1960;
401:Scamp, (ss) Veterinary Review (UK) Dec 1958
98:(22 August 1902 – 10 December 1985) was an
705:People associated with the Bank of England
416:Ta-Ra-Ra Boom!, (ss) Argosy (UK) Aug 1956;
392:Proud Lady Yun, (ss) Argosy (UK) Mar 1954;
353:Chinese Turtle, (ss) Argosy (UK) Jul 1958;
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483:, from a colour mutation from a flock of
422:Tiger General, (ss) Argosy (UK) May 1951;
715:20th-century British short story writers
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491:breed of duck. Bonnet later created the
383:Lotus Flower, (ss) Argosy (UK) Dec 1956;
407:Silken Lady, (ss) Argosy (UK) Apr 1953;
670:20th-century Welsh short story writers
647:
467:Originator of the Welsh Harlequin Duck
590:"Leslie Bonnet", by Frank Dancaster.
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344:The Bride, (ss) Argosy (UK) Oct 1958;
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225:In 1942, he was abruptly sent to the
145:but lost by a small number of votes.
720:20th-century English businesspeople
177:, second in command of E flight of
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163:The Old Lady of Threadneedle Stree
106:, the only true Welsh duck breed.
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447:He also published plays, such as
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245:Later in 1943, he was asked by
725:Welsh male short story writers
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520:British Waterfowl Association
285:Order of the Cloud and Banner
185:. He was quickly promoted to
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455:(1958). The children's book
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141:parliamentary candidate in
124:Watford Boys Grammar School
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463:, Caernarvonshire Branch.
168:Honorary Secretary's Guide
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30:
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700:British magazine editors
695:Royal Air Force officers
291:at Gerrards Cross until
279:Its work completed, the
161:of the staff magazine –
114:Bonnet was born 1902 in
457:The Terrible Nung Guama
318:In his adopted home of
516:Practical Duck Keeping
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487:. It is the only true
153:Bonnet worked for the
128:St Catharine's College
665:People from Criccieth
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495:, a cross between an
299:, which he declined.
132:Cambridge University
104:Welsh Harlequin Duck
680:People from Watford
607:. Dramawales.org.uk
453:Chinese Fairy Tales
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303:Short story writer
211:RAF Bomber Command
203:Middlesex Hospital
16:British politician
629:. Geograph.org.uk
289:RAF Staff College
259:Chinese Air Force
227:RAF Staff College
191:Flight Lieutenant
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449:The Nine Fathers
255:Air Vice Marshal
205:as one of three
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493:Whalesbury Duck
485:Khaki Campbells
481:Welsh Harlequin
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215:Squadron Leader
207:Squadron Leader
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293:demobilisation
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219:Wing Commander
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74:(aged 83)
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57:Hertfordshire
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25:Leslie Bonnet
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633:21 September
631:. Retrieved
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611:21 September
609:. Retrieved
599:
594:, June 1986.
592:THE OLD LADY
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179:908 Squadron
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72:(1985-12-10)
18:
660:1985 deaths
655:1902 births
313:North Wales
251:Air Marshal
649:Categories
546:References
540:Garth Pier
110:Early life
46:1902-08-22
532:Criccieth
526:Memorials
473:Criccieth
471:While in
309:Criccieth
269:Communist
235:Joan Hutt
197:War years
189:and then
77:Criccieth
170:(1938).
143:Watford
139:Liberal
116:Watford
81:Gwynedd
61:England
53:Watford
499:and a
325:Argosy
159:editor
489:Welsh
320:Wales
264:China
85:Wales
635:2012
613:2012
477:duck
67:Died
40:Born
538:on
503:.
311:in
281:RAF
100:RAF
651::
583:^
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130:,
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44:(
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