Leonard was born 12th July 1867 in Kippax
Leonard enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery on 20th October 1915 in Leeds.. He declared his age as 35 and 2 months. His actual age was 48 .
Posting Record
- October 1915 he was posted to No 1 Royal Field Artillery, Newcastle Depot,
- Nov 1915 to the 2nd Reserve Battalion.
- 10th April 1917 he was posted to Havre in France.
- 30th June 1917 to 18th July 1917 to lst Army red (Reserve Camp Corp)
- 21st Feb 1918 he was posted to 13 Corp School of Sanitation (this was possibly driving field ambulances in France
- 9th March to 23rd march 1918 he returned to UK on leave, then returns to France
- 14th May 1918 he is admitted to 3 sty hospital with a cyst to his abdomen
- 10th July 1918 when he was sent back to the UK
- 17th February 1919 Discharged
He died after discharge on 16th June 1919. and is buried in a Commonwealth War Grave in St Mary’s Church Grave, (Row 59 Grave 3 North of the Path- Not Garforth Cemetery)
On the St Mary’s Parish Burial Record he is listed as 51 years old
Family History
- His Father was Charles Townend(1842-1870 and Mother Elizabeth Campbell (1848 -1926)
- Father, Charles died aged 28 and his mother remarried Christopher Ashton in 1872
- Leonard married Louisa Dickinson in Swillington on 28th January 1895
- The marriage record list name as Charles Leonard Townend
- Louisa was born .24th Nov 1872 Crossgates – and Died .7th Feb.1908
- In 1908 the had a son, Arthur Reginald and the family moved to Garforth
- Louisa passed away aged 36
- 17th October 1908 Leonard married Eliza Saddington in Dewsbury She was a 40 year old widow
- The family continued to live in Springfield Place, West Garforth. At this time he was a miner.
- Arthur Reginald was close to his father as a young boy and took the death of his mother very badly.
- He was estranged from his stepmother but kept in touch with his stepbrother Albert Saddington and his family.
- Reg had a daughter Margaret who emigrated to Freemantle, Australia in 1950 aged 16 and who provided this background information.
Grateful thanks for the information provided by Martin Ashton, Ashley Land and Margaret Gill- Granddaughter of Leonard