Desmond Leslie

Desmond Arthur Peter Leslie (29 June 1921, London – 21 February 2001, Antibes, France) was a British pilot, film maker, writer, and musician, of English, Irish and Scottish descent. He was the younger son, and youngest child, of Shane Leslie, and his wife Marjorie (née Ide) Leslie. His father was a first cousin of Sir Winston Churchill.

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-authored one of the first books on UFOs, Flying Saucers Have Landed (1953), with writer and UFO contactee George Adamski.

Desmond is probably most famously known for punching theatre critic Bernard Levin in front of eleven million viewers during an edition of the live satirical TV show That Was The Week That Was in 1962. 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 biography, The Fun Palace, that the show was poorly received due to Desmond's custom-built loudspeakers being moved below the stage, and that Desmond 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. She claimed he probably punched Levin more out of embarrassment than loyalty. Levin's obituaries described Leslie only as an expert on UFOs.

Throughout his life, Desmond Leslie published several books, including a number on the subject of UFOs—the first of which, Flying Saucers Have Landed, was co-authored 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.

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