Name
Leonard William Gristwood
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/05/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
4176
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
55th Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring, Not on the Chorleywood memorials
Pre War
eonard William Gristwood was born in 1895 to (baptised 29 Dec 1895, Chorleywood) to Charles Gristwood and Mary Ann (nee Pickthorn). His parents had married on 30 Jan 1888. There would also be 2 daughters, May Lilian (born 1888) and Edith (born 1893). Leonard’s mother Mary died in 1896.
The 1901 Census records Leonard was living at Little Tring with his maternal grandparents, William Pickthorn (aged 60, agricultural labourer), grandmother Elizabeth (aged 62) and May Lilian Gristwood (aged 12), grandchild and Leonard’s sister. His father Charles and daughter Edith were living at Tibbles Dell, Chorleywood.
Leonard’s father remarried in 1903 to Lilian Williams.
On the 1911 Census Leonard (but not his sister) remained with his grand parents, his occupation as “farm labourer, feeds cattle” and “boarder” .His grandfather’s occupation is given as “farm labourer, horseman”). His father was living at 66 Redfern Road, Willesden, Middx with his wife and family of Winifred ( born 1904), Arthur (born 1906), Frank (born 1908) and Daisy (born 1911).
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Leonard. He enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 4724 probably soon after the outbreak of the Great War and at some time transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as Private 4176 in 55 Company, joining 18 (Eastern) Division on 13 Feb 1916. He was promoted to Lance Corporal.
During 1916 the 55th Company Machine Gun Corps was in action (on The Somme) in The Battles of Albert, Bazentin Ridge, Delville Wood, Thiepval Ridge, Ancre Heights and Ancre. In 1917 they were in action in the Operations on the Ancre, The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and in the Arras Offensive (9 Apr-16 Jun 1917) for 3rd Battle of the Scarpe (3-4 May). On 3 May the 18th (Eastern) Division mounted an attack on Chérisy, (a small village about six miles south-east of Arras). The attack started at 3.45am in pitch darkness, which caused a great confusion due to it being impossible to distinguish between friend and foe, who became mixed. The attack proved a disaster for the British Army, which suffered nearly 6,000 men killed for little material gain. During this action Leonard was reported as Missing and his death was presumed to have occurred on 3 May, His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Arras Memorial.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £12 and arrears of £12 12s 10d was paid to his sister May L Winfield (nee Gristwood).
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Malcolm Lennox
