Leonard Charles Brady

A Private with the 7th Battalion, Leonard died on 30th of November 1917 at the age of 22. 

Leonard was born at Beccles on 9 January 1895, a son of William and Caroline Brady. Note some sources state that he was born at Kirkley but on two consecutive censuses his family recorded his place of birth as Beccles. Leonard was a pupil at Kirkley School from 31 August 1898 and throughout his life his family lived at 22 Saint Leonard’s Road. In 1911 Leonard was a grocer’s errand boy. 

Leonard volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Great Yarmouth in August 1914. He joined the Norfolk Regiment, service number 12112. Leonard was an army signaller. Leonard was posted to the 7th battalion and arrived in France with the battalion on 30 May 1915. Leonard contracted scabies and was admitted to 4 Stationary Hospital on 13 October 1915 for treatment. He was discharged to duty on 22 November 1915. In 1917 Leonard suffered a laceration wound to his right knee and was admitted to the Convalescence Depot at Rouen on 12 April 1917. 

On 20 November 1917 the 7th Battalion had a support role in the 12th Division on the Hindenburg Main Line. From 22 to 29 November, they held front line trenches. About 7 a.m. on 30 November the enemy launched a very heavy barrage on the battalion’s positions and about 7.40 a.m. attacked, en mass, from Gonnelieu and Banteaux. The battalion was attacked from the front and the right flank. The battalion’s machine gunners killed many of the attackers but by shear weight of numbers the Germans were able to overrun the battalion’s positions and forced them back to Bleak Trench and a strong point on the battalion’s left front. Many men were surrounded and forced to surrender. By 10 a.m. only one battalion officer was left and he, along with the remainder of the battalion, attached themselves to the 9th Battalion Royal Fusiliers. 

The battalion’s casualties for 30 November were:    
Officers: two killed, one missing, five wounded and missing, eight wounded, one shell-shock
Other ranks: 27 killed, 204 missing, 13 wounded and missing, 89 wounded

Leonard was reported missing on 30 November. By September 1918 it was concluded that he had been killed in action on, or since, that date.  

Leonard’s brother Victor died as the result of an air raid in 1942.