Desmond Leslie

Desmond Arthur Peter Leslie (29 June 1921, London – 21 February 2001, Antibes, France) was a British pilot, film maker, writer, and musician. He was the younger brother of Sir John Leslie, 4th Baronet, and youngest child, of Shane Leslie (a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill), and his wife Marjorie (née Ide). Biography During his lifetime he served as a Spitfire pilot in the RAF during World War II, became one of the first pioneers of electronic music, and co-wrote one of the first books on UFOs, Flying Saucers Have Landed (1953), with writer and UFO contactee George Adamski. In 1962, Leslie punched theatre critic Bernard Levin during a live broadcast of the TV show That Was The Week That Was. Ostensibly this was to protect the honour of his then-wife, Agnes Bernelle, in response to Levin's critical review of her show, Savagery and Delight. Bernelle stated in her autobiography, The Fun Palace, that Savagery and Delight was poorly received due to Leslie's custom-built loudspeakers being moved below the stage, and that he had failed to check the situation, missing the show for a social appointment. As a consequence, no one behind the front two rows heard a word she sang. Writer Throughout his life, Desmond Leslie published several books, including the subject of UFOs—the first of which, Flying Saucers Have Landed, was co-written with George Adamski. He also wrote a series of satirical books ranging from The Jesus File, dealing with the crucifixion of Christ as recorded through the paper-work and internal correspondences of the Roman Garrison, to How Britain Won The Space Race, which he co-wrote with celebrated amateur astronomer Patrick Moore.