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3703 3rd Battalion, London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers)
Leonard Webb was born in Beccles in 1893, the second eldest of six sons of William and Edith Webb. The family lived at The Old Brewery House, Bridge Street in Beccles where his father was employed as a maltster’s labourer, they later moved to Stowmarket where Leonard went to school.
At the age of 17 Leonard was an apprentice to a clothier in Sudbury and the family had moved to 3 Bank Buildings. They later moved to Stour Villas in Edgworth Road. At the outbreak of war Leonard was employed at Messrs. Groves, Outfitters in London.
He was living in Sudbury when he enlisted in early 1915 and served with the London Regiment. After nine weeks training he was sent to France on 9 May. His brother Ernest served with a Motor Transport unit and survived the war. His younger brother Wallace George served with the Royal Field Artillery and lost his life one month before the Armistice.
In February 1916 the battalion had transferred to become part of 167th Brigade, 56th (London) Division and was concentrated around the Hallencourt area. The Division saw action during the Battle of the Somme (1 July - 18 November) at the diversionary attack at Gommecourt Wood on the first day of the offensive and the battles of Ginchy (9 September), Flers-Courcelette (15 - 22 September), Morval (25 - 27 September) and Le Transloy (11 September - 9 October).
Leonard died from wounds received in action aged 23 at the 14 Company Medical Dressing Station on 3 October 1916. He had previously been recorded as having suffered shell shock and it is uncertain whether he had recovered from this before going back in action.
Leonard lies buried in Carnoy Military Cemetery, Somme, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in March 2014.
Leonard is also remembered on the Trinity Congregational Church Memorial which was moved to the United Reformed Church, School Street when Trinity closed. The United Reformed Church closed in 2017 and it is proposed that the memorials from both churches will be relocated to the Sudbury Cemetery Chapel.
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