Lefley, Leonard William

Age: 20
Date of birth: Q1 1921

Parents: Harold Frederick and Gertrude Lefley
Wife: Single
Address: 14 Market Place, Warwick

Occupation: Worked at Lockheed Brake Company in Leamington

Leonard was born in the first quarter of 1921 in Glandford Brigg, Lincolnshire. He was the only child of Harold Frederick (1898-1969) and Gertrude Lefley (1898-1969). Leonard’s father was also born Glandford Brigg and his mother Gertrude nee Hatton was a Warwick girl and they married in Warwick in 1919.

By the time of the 1921 Census the family had moved to 97 Barclay Street, Scunthorpe where they were boarders in the house of Mr and Mrs Stevens.  Leonard’s father is working as a Rigger in the iron and steel industry.

According to the census of 1939 Leonard’s parents were living at 14 Edward’s Court, Warwick. His father was a Corporation labourer and during the war he was also a fireman and had served in WW1 and been wounded.

Leonard’s parents were both born in April 1898 and they both died within a couple of months of each other in 1969 aged 71.

Military Service

Rank & Number: Sergeant, 557708
Regiment/Service: 7/4 Maritime Regiment, Royal Artillery
Brigade/Division: SS Thornliebank - anti-aircraft battery
Date of death: 29th November 1941
Cause of death/Battle: Lost at sea
Commemorated/Buried: Commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial. Panel 62, Column 2.
Awards:
Commemorated locally at:

Leonard enlisted with the Warwickshire Yeomanry in 1938 at the age of seventeen and was promoted twice to Sergeant within two years.

Leonard was on the passenger list of the ship ‘Leeds City’ and arrived in New York on 13th August 1941, presumably on the way to join his ship.

He was in charge of an anti-aircraft battery on the SS Thornliebank but all of the crew were lost when the ship was torpedoed by U-43 in the Atlantic Ocean, 600 miles west of Lisbon.

He is commemorated on Plymouth Memorial

Contributors

  • Unlocking Warwick Research Group
  • Warwick Advertiser excerpt courtesy of Warwickshire County Record Office

Leave a Reply