crab apple stripped bare

[Gazza]

Having bought and planted a Malus flowering crab apple in April which was doing really nicely, got up this morning to find its leaves stripped! Cant be the rabbits, as too high, and thought we'd sorted the deer munchers!
The leaves on the tips of the branches/stems are intact and no obvious nibbled bits! Any ideas?

[Flummery]

It's not the wind is it? It's been ferocious here and there are leaves and even branches lying along the footpaths through the village.