Private Bernard Michael Leonard

Army Number : 108836 (formerly 8291 Lancashire Fusiliers)

Battalion : 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment.

Born and lived at Ardwick, Lancashire. Son of Thomas and Mary Leonard, of 3 Hawthorne Street, Ardwick. He was a dresser prior to enlisting 2nd September 1914 at Manchester. He was posted 12th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 11th September 1914. He went to France 4th September 1915 landing at Boulogne and concentrated north of Amiens at Flesselles, France. In October they moved to Marseilles by train and embarked for Salonika arriving 6th November 1915. In 1916 they were involved in the Battle of Horseshoe Hill and the Battle of Machukovo.

He suffered shrapnel wounds to his right arm and hand, his scalp and leg, 3rd January 1917, and was treated at No. 31 Casualty Clearing Station, Salonika and No. 5 Canadian General Hospital, Salonika. He was transferred to Hospital Ship Panama, 20th January 1917 and was transported to St. Ignatius Hospital, Malta, 28th January 1917. From there he was transferred to England on Hospital Ship Formosa, 26th December 1917.

He returned to France and was posted 17th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 1st April 1918. He was then transferred to the 1st Battalion Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derbys) Regiment, 3rd April 1918 and was killed in action, 27th May 1918, when the battalion was ordered forward to the Aisne line and were then in a retiring fight to Montagne de Guyancourt, France.

Commemorated : Soissons Memorial, France.3