Name
Leonard Dickinson
1881
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
17/10/1918
37
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
58278
Northamptonshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BUSIGNY COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
IV. C. 26.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no family inscription on his Headstone
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, St. Lawrence Church Memorial, Abbots Langley, Kings Langley Village Memorial, All Saints Church Memorial, Kings Langley
Biography
Leonard Dickinson lived at Railway Terrace all of his life until he enlisted at Hertford late in the Great War. He was first listed in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour in June 1918 where he was shown serving with the Northamptonshire Regiment, having enlisted at Hertford sometime earlier. He was regularly recorded each month until in November 1918, when the Magazine reported that he had been killed in action. Leonard Dickinson fell on 17th October 1918, and was buried at Busigny, 15 miles north-east of St Quentin. There were three Casualty Clearing Stations at Busigny, so it was likely that he was wounded in action and died whilst being treated at one of these.
He died on the same day as two other Abbots Langley men – Albert Charles Lee (11th Essex) who died in France, and Frank Morton (Army Service Corps) who died at sea returning on leave from Egypt.
Leonard’s death was recorded in the November 1918 edition of the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine –
“We deeply regret as we go to press, to hear that Leonard Dickinson, of the 1st Northampton’s, of Railway Terrace, has been killed in action”.
Then in December 1918 more details were included in the Magazine –
“Leonard Dickinson, of Railway Terrace, had only been in France a short time, and he was killed in action on October 17th. He belonged to the 1st Northants Regt. He leaves an invalid wife to mourn his loss”.
Leonard Dickinson was born in Spring 1881, the sixth child (three sons and three daughters) of Thomas and Martha Dickinson, of Railway Terrace. Thomas worked as a Carpenter, and the family remained at Railway Terrace until at least 1911. The 1911 Census recorded that Leonard was married (Blanche), and living at 18 Railway Terrace, and worked as a Flower Packer Worker, having previously worked as a General Labourer.
Leonard Dickinson was buried at Busigny Communal Cemetery in Northern France, and was commemorated on the Abbots Langley and Kings Langley War Memorials.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org
