Leonard Bennett

Leonard was born in Arnold in 1885, he was the son of the late Fred Bennett a farm labourer and Emma Bennett née Yates His father Fred was born in 1849 at Sutton in Ashfield Nottinghamshire and worked as a general labourer, his wife Emma Goadby Yates was born in the same year in Arnold. They were married in 1874 their marriage was recorded in the Basford Registration district. They had a total of 10 children , however sadly two were to die in infancy or early childhood , their surviving children all born in Arnold were William b1875, Eliza b1877, John b1879, Frederick b1881, Leonard b1885, Warren Edward b1887, Ethel Alice b1889 and Harold b1891. In the 1911 census the family were living at Spring Terrace, Nottingham Road, Daybrook and were shown as Fred 62 yrs a farm labourer, he is living with his wife Emma 62 yrs and their children Frederick 30 yrs a coal miner, Warren Edward 24 yrs a lace warehouse clerk, Ethel Alice 22 yrs a folder in a hosiery factory and Harold 20 yrs a vanman. In the same 1911 census Leonard is shown as being with the 4th Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment in barracks in India. His father Fred was to died on 14th August 1911, he was 62 yrs of age.

Professional soldier

Nottingham Road, Arnold, Nottingham

He enlisted into the Army at Northampton on 30th March 1904 and served in India prior to the outbreak of the war. He went to France with the 3rd battalion The Worcestershire Regiment as a part of the British Expeditionary Force on 12th August 1914 . By September 1914 the battalion found itself in the front line trenches near Vailly and they were shelled during the night of the 18th having one man wounded and one man missing. The 19th September dawned with little improvement in the weather, it having been wet most of the night. All day there was very heavy shelling on the trenches and at about 5.30pm the Germans attacked in strength but were unable to take the position and were driven off. During this attack one man was killed (Pte Leonard Bennett) and 12 others were wounded. His name is commemorated on the La Ferte-Sous-Jouarre Memorial, France

Obituary published 1st December 1914 in the Nottingham Daily Express - “Private Leonard Bennett, aged 29, of the 3rd Worcestershire Regiment, who was killed in action on the Aisne on September 19th. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, Nottingham-road, Arnold. This is the fourth soldier from Arnold who has been killed in action.” In memoriam published 19th September 1916 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “BENNETT. – In loving memory of Private Leonard Bennett, of Arnold, killed in action September 19th, 1914. – From his mother, brother, and sisters.” Above are courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918.