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43715 11th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
Leonard Watson was born in Sudbury around 1890, the third son of Abraham John and Mary Ann Watson (née French). In 1901 the family was living at 32 Sepulchre Street, (now Gainsborough Street). His brother Edward was an assistant schoolmaster and his sister Florence was an assistant schoolmistress.
At the age of 21 Leonard was living in at Lambeth Workhouse in London where he was employed as a Clerk. He married Winifred Rogers on 3 March 1916 at Brixton Registry Office and they had a son Jack.
Leonard enlisted in London, first serving with the Royal Fusiliers (5327). He was mobilised to France on 16 February 1917 and transferred to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers which formed part of 109th Brigade, 36th (Ulster) Division on 19 April 1917. In June the Division saw action at the Battle of Messines (7 - 14 June) when the Allies launched their offensive with 19 enormous mines being detonated underground beneath the enemy trenches. The Division successfully captured Wytschaete but suffered 1,119 casualties killed, wounded or missing.
In July Leonard was sent to a rest camp suffering from trench fever, it is not known when he returned to his unit which saw action during the Third Battle of Ypres at Langemarck (16 - 18 August 1917).
Leonard was killed in action on 6 September 1917 and lies buried in Hermies British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. His widow Winifred had moved back to Sudbury with their son by January 1918 and was living at 32 Gainsborough Street.
Leonard was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in March 2014.
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