Leslie Charles Roots was born 8th December 1921 to Charles and Ada Roots of Walthamstow, England. Leslie attended the George Monoux Grammar School and joined the Clerical Class on 10th Feb 1939 with the Ministry of Aircraft Production in Whitehall before volunteering for the RAF in 1942. He did his initial training in Scarborough, before being sent to Grahamstown, South Africa to train as a Navigator. Leslie played the piano, accordian and mouth organ and was a great animal lover. He was initially buried in Gelsenkirchen, before being re-interred in the Reichswald Forest Military Cemetery.