Pte Leonard Rogers

Leonard was born in Wethersfield, near Braintree. His family first moved to Ilford just after Leonard was born, but within a few years moved again to Brentwood. His father worked in Brentwood as a stone mason.

After the first world war broke out, Leonard initially joined the East Angian Division of the Cycling Corps as a private, working as a dispatch rider in the early days of the war. By October 1916 he had transferred to the 11th Btn Sussex Rgt and was in France. The 11th Btn had suffered heavy casualties in June that year, after which may have been when Leonard was transfered to them.

On 20th October the 11th moved to an area just north of Thiepval, called Zollern Trench - which had previously been captured as part of the Battle of the Somme. The next day, from this trench, Leonard and the rest of the men from the 11th would form the central attack force on German lines known as Stuff Trench. At about 12:00 noon an artillery barrage began on the German trenches and Leonard would have followed close behind it, coming immediately under fire. Bombing parties were sent ahead, and in the end the trench was captured, but with heavy losses. Leonard was not one of the men who made it to the trench, and he was reported still missing two months later. It is not recorded when his body was found, but his remains are now buried in grave A3 at Grandcourt Road Cemetery in France. He was 19 years old when he was killed.

Unusually, Leonard is not recorded on the Brentwood war memorial.