Leonard Martin Holbrook Dowding

A Mate, Leonard died on the 5th of February 1944 aged 63. 

Leonard was born at Kessingland on 9 August 1880, a son of George and Sarah Amelia Dowding. He was baptised at Saint Edmund’s Church, Kessingland, on 3 September 1880 along with his twin brother George. In 1881 his family lived at Beach Road, Kessingland, and in 1891 their address was ‘by sea’ Kessingland. 

By 1901 Leonard was working as a fisherman and in that year he worked on the trawler Belle, LT 167, at Newlyn, Cornwall. 
In 1902 Leonard married Sabina Jane Knights, this was registered in the Mutford district. In 1911 their address was ‘by the sea’ Kessingland, and Leonard was a drift fisherman. By January 1915 they were living at Brooklands, Kessingland.  

In 1910 Leonard was awarded his certificate of competency as a Second Hand. 

On 13 January 1915 Leonard joined the Royal Naval Reserve as a Second Hand, service number S.A. 1012. During the war he served with the trawler Gladys May. Leonard was demobilized on 24 June 1919. 

After the First World War Leonard and Sabina lived at Helen Villa, 12 John Street, Lowestoft, before moving to 4 Cliff Cottages, Kessingland, which was their address in 1939, when Leonard was a fisherman. By 1944 Leonard’s address was 2 Bethel Drive, Kessingland.  

The details of what happened to Leonard are not known other than that in February 1944 he was working as a fisherman and that he died at the Falmouth and District Hospital. Leonard was buried at Saint Edmund’s Churchyard, Kessingland, on 11 February.