Editing Leonard Plugge (section)

==Early years and political life==
Plugge was born in [[Walworth]], only son of Frank Plugge (1864–1946), a commercial clerk, and his wife, Mary Chase (1862–1924). His father was a Belgian of Dutch descent.<ref name=dnb>Petheram, Michel, [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/65431 "Plugge, Leonard Frank (1889–1981)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, October 2008. Retrieved 15 August 2017 {{subscription required}}</ref> Plugge was educated at [[Dulwich College]], the [[Free University of Brussels (1834–1969)|University of Brussels]] and [[University College London]], where he graduated with a BSc degree in civil engineering in 1915.<ref>{{Who's Who | title = PLUGGE, Capt. Leonard Frank | id = U168148 | type = was | volume = 2018 | edition = online}}</ref> In the First World War, he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and in 1918 transferred to the Royal Air Force, where he became a captain. He stayed with the air force until 1921, and in the same year was elected a [[Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society]].<ref name=dnb/>

Plugge was elected [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[Chatham (UK Parliament constituency)|Chatham]] in 1935, defeating the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] candidate [[Hugh Gaitskell]] by a majority of 5,897 votes. He lost in 1945 to [[Arthur Bottomley]], a future Minister of Overseas Development in [[Harold Wilson]]'s first government.