Major Stephen Phillip MARTIN-LEAKE BA joined the Intelligence Corps in 1940 and was soon involved in Special Duties with SOE, originally based in Cairo. His first operations were in Greece, followed by West Africa on Mission “Caesar”. In 1942 he was made Head of the East African Mission and was involved in deployments to Madagascar and South Africa.

In June 1944, whilst on a visit to Albania, he was killed during an air strike on the “Sculptor” Mission camp. He was buried locally with full military honours by the Partisans. Due to the political situation in Albania after the war, his grave was not identified until 2003 by an elderly local who remembered the burial.

His brother was then able to claim his medals and donated them to the museum. They are, left to right: 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal and War Medal.