LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Corporal Leonard James Faithful
7th Bn.
Royal Fusiliers
Town Memorial P3.R3.C1.
Taken, Not Given
CplLeonard J Faithful
7th Royal Fusiliers
Bapaume
Aug 20 1918 [sic]
The Parish magazine (1) issue of November 1918 announced that Leonard Faithful had been killed in action on 27 August 1918.
The Regimental Records give the same date, i.e. five days later than the inscription, confirm both his rank and Battalion and state that his Regimental number was 62702.
Additionally they state that he had previously served in the 2nd/5th East Surreys as No.3189.
He had been born in Leatherhead and had enlisted in Wimbledon.
The reference number for the unit War Diary (7th Royal Fusiliers) in the Public Record Office is W095-3119.
Notes on sources
1. Parish magazine of St Mary and St Nicholas, Leatherhead
2. Soldiers who Died in the Great War - Royal Fusiliers - Royal Fusiliers Museum, HM Tower of London.
Further research
CorporalFAITHFUL, LEONARD JAMES
Service Number 62702
Died 27/08/1918
7th Bn.
Royal Fusiliers
Commemorated at VIS-EN-ARTOIS MEMORIAL
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 3.
As Liam Sumption found, this is another example of an incorrect date being used on Leatherhead's Memorials. He died on 27th August, not the 20th.
The events on 27th August 1918, the day of his death, recorded in the 7 Bn Royal Fusiliers' War Diary WO95 3119, show that losses occurred in the morning through the barrage supporting their attack falling short and then later in the day because they did not get the support they needed:
At 6.30am on the 26th [August, 1918] the
190th Brigade was in reserve to the other two who were to take THILLOY,
LIGNY THILLOY and then RIENCOURT [all in a line a few km to the south of
Bapaume], Zero hour 7.30am. The 188th and 189th Brigades were held up on
the outskirts of THILLOY & LIGNY THILLOY and it was decided the the
4th Bedfords and 7th Royal Fusiliers make an attack on THILLOY, the 1st
Artists to go through them at a certain point& proceed to final
objective.
At 11am 27th the barrage started,
and was short & casualties were suffered by troops assembled for the
attack.
'C' Coy suffered heavy casualties. 2nd Lt
Bellgrove MC was wounded.
We attacked again the afternoon &
entered THILLOY in places but were forced to withdraw owing to lack of
cooperation by the New Zealand Division on the left.
Heavy casualties having occurred among
Officers & NCOs & the men being left leaderless withdrew to the
assembly positions in RED CUT.
The Battalion was relieved in the early hours of the 28th inst and came out to MIRAUMONT
The Battalion was relieved in the early hours of the 28th inst and came out to MIRAUMONT
His brother Louis also served and was awarded the Military Medal:
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 30 June 1917
MILITARY MEDAL.
The first old scholar of the Leatherhead Elementary School to win the Military Medal is Rifleman L. Faithful, of the Signal Section, son of Mr. and Mrs. Faithful, of 2 Kingslea, Leatherhead. Writing to his parents under date of June 2nd, Rifleman Faithful says: "The Section, is going have a dinner to-night at a town about three miles away and we are to have a motor lorry to take us out and fetch us back. Our own officer is presiding at the dinner, so we are looking forward to a good time. You will pleased to hear I have won the Military Medal in the attack which started on June 7th.
Saturday 30 June 1917
MILITARY MEDAL.
The first old scholar of the Leatherhead Elementary School to win the Military Medal is Rifleman L. Faithful, of the Signal Section, son of Mr. and Mrs. Faithful, of 2 Kingslea, Leatherhead. Writing to his parents under date of June 2nd, Rifleman Faithful says: "The Section, is going have a dinner to-night at a town about three miles away and we are to have a motor lorry to take us out and fetch us back. Our own officer is presiding at the dinner, so we are looking forward to a good time. You will pleased to hear I have won the Military Medal in the attack which started on June 7th.
I hear I was put in for a D.C.M., but was
was unlucky. I feel quite proud about it, as mine will be the first
actually by signaller in the company. . . .
At the time my pal was severely wounded, and I have not heard from him since. Really, our signallers were very much caught this. We had one killed and eight wounded out of about twenty."
At the time my pal was severely wounded, and I have not heard from him since. Really, our signallers were very much caught this. We had one killed and eight wounded out of about twenty."
This award to Signaller Lewis
Faithful was also announced in the October 1918 issue of the Leatherhead
Parish Magazine.
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser
Saturday 14 September 1918
CORPL. L. J. FAITHFUL.
Mr and Mrs. Faithful, of King’s Lea, Leatherhead, have this week received notification from the War Office that their son, Corpl. Leonard James Faithful, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on August 27th. At the outbreak of war deceased was employed at the Leatherhead shop of the Central Meat Company, and had been there five and half years when he joined up in March, 1915. He was 21 years of age, and had been in France about two years.
Saturday 14 September 1918
CORPL. L. J. FAITHFUL.
Mr and Mrs. Faithful, of King’s Lea, Leatherhead, have this week received notification from the War Office that their son, Corpl. Leonard James Faithful, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in France on August 27th. At the outbreak of war deceased was employed at the Leatherhead shop of the Central Meat Company, and had been there five and half years when he joined up in March, 1915. He was 21 years of age, and had been in France about two years.
A brother of the deceased, Signaller Lewis
Faithful, who has won the Military Medal, was gassed on August 25th, but
is now back in the line.
This Memorial bears the names of over 9,000 men who fell in the period from 8 August 1918 to the date of the Armistice in the Advance to Victory in Picardy and Artois, between the Somme and Loos, and who have no known grave. They belonged to the forces of Great Britain and Ireland and South Africa; the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand forces being commemorated on other memorials to the missing.
The Memorial consists of a screen wall in three parts. The middle part of the screen wall is concave and carries stone panels on which names are carved. It is 26 feet high flanked by pylons 70 feet high. The Stone of Remembrance stands exactly between the pylons and behind it, in the middle of the screen, is a group in relief representing St George and the Dragon. The flanking parts of the screen wall are also curved and carry stone panels carved with names. Each of them forms the back of a roofed colonnade; and at the far end of each is a small building. The memorial was designed by J.R. Truelove, with sculpture by Ernest Gillick. It was unveiled by the Rt. Hon. Thomas Shaw on 4 August 1930.
Leonard's life
He was born on 19 March 1897 in Leatherhead, Surrey and baptised at the Parish Church of St Mary & St Nicholas, Leatherhead on 18 July 1897. He was 21 when he died.His father was George Faithful, born 1 April 1865, Ockham, Surrey. He died on 21 November 1945 in Leatherhead, Surrey
His mother was Emily Ida Razzell, born 8 December 1867, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey. Her death on 1 January 1932 was registered at Epsom.
They married on 19 February 1887 at St Giles, Ashtead, Surrey. She was 19, her abode was Leatherhead, her father James Razzell was a Wood-dealer. George was 21, a Labourer living in Ashtead. His father Thomas was a Labourer.
Leonard's siblings were Beatrice b 1889, Percy George b 1890, Louis b1892, Winifred Annie b 1899, Florence Victoria b 1901, Thomas Francis b 1904 and Bernard Reginald b 1908.
In the 1901 Census the family was at ?Sturgis Cottages, Fairfield, Leatherhead. His father was a Builder's Carter
In the 1911 Census they were at 2 Kingslea, Leatherhead. His father was a Carman, his brother Louis was a Boot Trade Assistant
He is also 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
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, his name on the memorial, and any recollections
of him
last updated 22 Jul 20