Name
Leonard Lewis James Roe
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
08/10/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
40379
South Wales Borderers
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TINCOURT NEW BRITISH CEMETERY
Plot V, Row H, Grave 18.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Wesleyan Methodist (now Bushey & Oxhey) Church Memorial, Oxhey, St Matthew’s Church Memorial, Oxhey, Bushey Town Memorial
Pre War
Born in Watford in 1891, Leonard Lewis Walter Roe was the second of four children born to Walter and Mary Ann (nee Gambier) Roe. His parents were married in 1890 in the registration district of Watford.
At the 1891 Census, Walter and Mary were living at 265 High Street in Watford. Walter was 31 years old and working as Stableman and Mary was 27 years old.
At the 1901 Census, Leonard was 9 years old and living with his parents and three siblings at 25 Heath Road in Watford. Walter and Mary were 38 and 35 years old respectively and Walter was working as a brewer’s drayman. Leonard’s sisters Charlotte and May were 16 and 4 years old respectively and his brother William was 1 year old. The birthplaces are given as Andover in Hants for Walter, Bushey for Charlotte and Watford for Mary, Leonard, William and May. Also present was Mary’s mother, 68-year-old E Gambier, who was living on her own means. Her birthplace was Brixton.
Walter died, aged 43, in the third quarter of 1907 and was buried on 17 April in Vicarage Road Cemetery in Watford. Mary remained at 25 Heath Road with Leonard, May and William. She was employed as a Caretaker at a brewery office, Leonard was working for a brewery as a Beer Bottler and William was at school.
Leonard married Jessie Tompkins in the third quarter of 1915 in the Watford registration district.
Mary died, aged 80, in the second quarter of 1945, the detah being registered in the Bournemouth district.
Wartime Service
Leonard enlisted in Bedford as Private 8634 with the Bedfordshire Regiment. He was later transferred to the South Wales Borderers, serving on the Western Front as Private 40379 in the 10th Battalion. He died of wounds, aged 27, at the 50th Casualty Clearing Station on 8 October 1918. He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals.
He is remembered with honour at Tincourt New British Cemetery in France and is also commemorated at Bushey and Oxhey Methodist Church, and on the memorial at St Matthew’s Church, Oxhey.
The Register of Soldiers’ Effects names his widow, Jessie, as the beneficiary. His pension record card gives Jessie’s address as Roberts Road in Watford and awards a pension of 25 shillings and 5 pennies per week with effect from 2 June 1919. It also gives the birth date for Jessie as 30 October 1898 and includes the names of two children; Walter L J Roe (b. 01/04/1916) and Katherine Elsie Roe (b. 08/11/1918).
The medal card for Jessie shows a date of 7 October 1920 and gives her address as 76 St John’s Wood Terrace, St John’s Wood, London NW8.
There is an article about and a Death announcement for Leonard in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 7 December 1918, and an In Memoriam in the issue dated 11 October 1919.
Additional Information
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk) There is an article about and a Death announcement for Leonard in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 7 December 1918; plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 11 October 1919. Additional information with kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk.
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk) Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
