LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI

Lance Corporal Leonard May
2nd Bn Coldstream Guards

Town Memorial P5.R3.C3.

Taken, Not Given, Liam Sumption L&DLHS

Cpl [sic]
Leonard May
2nd Coldstream Guards
Arras
July 28 1918

[note: please see notes of explanation regarding Coldstream Guards records and dispositions under heading of Percy Skelton, erroneously recorded as having died on 25 January 1918]

Leonard May, according to Soldiers Who died in the Great War (Coldstream Guards) was a Lance Corporal, No.16411 and had been born in Durley, Hants., and enlisted at Guildford, being resident in Botley, Hants. (1)

Notes on sources
1. Soldiers Who died in the Great War (Coldstream Guards) - Imperial War Museum, Lambeth

N.B. Possible War Diary references in Public Record Office, Richmond, Kew - W095/1215 and 1263.

Further research

Lance Corporal
MAY, LEONARD
Service Number 16411
Died 28/07/1918
Aged 23
2nd Bn. Coldstream Guards
Son of George and Ellen Lucy May, of Boorley Green, Botley, Hants.
INSCRIPTION
TIME CAN NEVER STOP THE LONGING FOR OUR DEAR SON GONE BEFORE
Buried at BERLES NEW MILITARY CEMETERY
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: III. D. 4.

War Diary 2 Bn Coldstream Guards WO95/1215

July 1918
24th Front Line Trenches (HAMELINCOURT). (Casualty one killed). 1 OR Wd Gas
25th do - do (Casualty 1 OR Wounded. Gas)
26th do - do
27th do - do
28th do - do (Casualties. 2 ORs killed. 1 OR Wounded) (1 OR Wounded. Gas)
29th do - do The Battalion was relieved about 10.30 pm by the 1st Bn: Irish Guards and marched back to Trenches at RANSART, becoming the Battalion in Reserve (Cas: 1 OR Wounded). Draft of 4 ORs joined the Battalion.
30th RANSART TRENCHES (Reserve).
31st do - do (Casualties 11 ORs Wounded).

Leonard May appears to have been among the many who lost their lives in the constant, almost routine, exchanges on the Front Line. Being relieved from the Front Line and back in the Reserve Trenches was sometimes no safer.

Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 10 August 1918
WAR CASUALTIES.
Mr. Loveless, stationmaster at the L. and S.W.R. station, has just heard that two porters who were employed at the Leatherhead station prior to joining the Army, have recently lost their lives. Pte. Leonard May, who enlisted in the Coldstream Guards in July, 1915, was killed in action July 28th. May enlisted with P.C. Wise, of the local police, and both were in action together in 1916, when Wise was killed and May lost finger. May was a native of Botley in Hampshire, and had been employed at the local station about three years before he joined up.

Pte. Cecil Preskett enlisted in the Surrey Regt. in January 1916, and his mother has just heard that was killed in action on July 3rd. Preskett was twenty-four years of age and came from Woking, having been at the station about nine months when he joined the Colours.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 28 December
1918 ROLL OF HONOUR.
THE YEAR’S RECORD OF THE BRAVE FALLEN.
AUGUST
MAY, PTE. LEONARD, Coldstream Guards, formerly a porter at L. and S.W.R., Leatherhead.

His life

Leonard May was born in 1895. In the 1911 Census aged 16 he was a Nurseryman but then became a porter at Leatherhead Station, joining his father in the London & SW Railway Co. 

His father was George May born 1861 at Durley, Bps Waltham, Hampshire, a Platelayer on the London & SW Railway. He was a son of Charles May Jr b 1822 and Martha Kneller (1823-1864).

His mother was Ellen Lucy Bailey, born 1863, Salisbury, Hampshire, a daughter of John Bailey (1842-1910), a Labourer, and Elizabeth Bailey b 1838.

Their marriage in Q1 1887 was registered in the Droxford District of Hampshire.

Leonard's siblings were Harry b 1889, Percy b1890, Fred Bertram b 1893 and Victor Cyril b 1899.

Leonard lived with his family at Durley and Boorley Green, Botley, Hampshire. It is not known where he lived when working at Leatherhead Station.

After WW1

Leonard is named on the Botley War Memorials as well as those in Leatherhead.

Leonard May is remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
Ladies War Shrine, Leatherhead Parish Church
Church Lads Brigade Memorial Tryptich, All Saints Leatherhead
Surrey in the Great War
Botley Parishioners Roll Of Honour, All Saints Church, Botley
Botley War Memorial Cross, All Saints Church, Botley

the website editor would like to add further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, his headstone, and any recollections of him

last updated 11 Nov 20