Leonard Christopher Day

A Lance Corporal with the 1/4th Battalion, Leonard died on 23rd of April 1917 at the age of 30. 

Leonard was born at Lowestoft on 27 February 1887, a son of William Edward and Emily Mary Day. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church on 1 May 1887. In 1891 his family lived at 21 Beckham Road, and by 1901 at 48 Norwich Road. 

In 1906 Leonard married Florence Matilda Rogers. In 1911 they lived at 6 Chapel Street, and Leonard was a bricklayer. Later Florence lived at 20 Duke's Head Street and in 1920 she married Samuel Head. 

Leonard joined the 1/4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment, at Lowestoft, in early 1909, service number 853. He was mobilised when the First World War began, but did not serve overseas before 1916. In 1917 he was renumbered 200058.

On 23 April 1917 the 1/4th Battalion took part in the assault on the German front and support trenches of the Hindenburg Line near the River Sensee. After an artillery barrage the battalion’s advance began at 4.45 a.m. They faced considerable opposition. By 6.30 a.m. B Company were within 200 yards of their objective, but were held up by granatenwerfer (grenade launcher), rifle and machine-gun fire. They held on until 9.30 a.m. when a German counter-attack forced them to withdraw. C and D Companies, with the support of one tank, were able to reach a sunken road by about 9.30 a.m. They also faced considerable opposition and, from 2 p.m. they were forced back by counter-attacks. The battalion was relived during the night. In the assault they had captured about 650 unwounded prisoners, five machine guns and a trench mortar. 

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officers: one killed, eight wounded
Other ranks: 41 killed, 160 wounded, 104 missing   

Leonard was killed in action on 23 April.

Leonard's brother in law, Herbert Harry Rogers, served with the Suffolk Regiment and died in 1916.