Leonard Stavenow was born on 29th January 1925 to Amel and Bertha Stavenow, of Arnprior, Ontario, Canada and had at least five brothers and four sisters. He must have enlisted into the RCAF straight out of college given his age when he died. After training as an air gunner at Mont Joli in Canada he was soon posted to the UK and joined the main part of Mooney's then five-man crew as rear gunner at an Operational Training Unit (OTU) to begin training on bomber aircraft. By this stage in the War it appears common for the two gunners to join the regular bomber crew although they trained in Whitley or Wellington aircraft at an OTU which did not have the mid gun turret so both gunners took turns in being seated in the rear turret. Upon completing this training at the OTU this six-man crew was posted 1659 Heavy Conversion Unit where they selected the remaining member of their seven man crew and begun their four-engined flying training. Having been seriously injured in the crash of Halifax LK878 he was found by local people, they attempted to save his life but he was so badly injured that he died before he could be admitted to hosptial. He was still only nineteen years old.

Sgt Stavenow was nineteen years old and was buried at Harrogate Stonefall Cemetery on 20th January 1945.