GEORGE LEONARD LEESON 1887–1943

Photograph from Ancestry Public Member Trees

Born 7th January 1887, Radcliffe on Trent

Died 6 November 1943, age 56

Radcliffe on Trent School Register

Admitted 28 April (no year given). Address Knight’s Hill

1891 Census

Age 4 living in Radcliffe on Trent with father James 38, a tailor, and mother Elizabeth 36

1901 Census

Age 14 living on Mount Pleasant, Radcliffe on Trent with father James, rural postman, step-mother Harriet 42 and sister Dora age 3.

Employed as an office boy. His mother Elizabeth had died in 1894 and his father had married again.

1910

Admitted to City of London Union Infirmary, Bow Road on 21 February, age twenty-three; occupation billposter. Brought by Police. Discharged by order of Magistrate on 2 March.

1911 Census

Unable to find him in 1911

Military Service

Rank: Private

Service Number: 205182 (RAMC), 28337, 23427

Military Unit: Royal Army Medical Corps, formerly 15th Battalion, The Sherwood Foresters, 105th Brigade, 35th Division,

Theatre of War: France and Flanders, date of entry 14.3.16.

Enlisted: 24.2.1915

Occupation: Bill Poster

Overseas from 14.3.16–5.1.17.

28.11.17: Discharged, no longer physically fit for war service

Further Attestation: 16.7.19, Nottingham, age 24 (so possibly lied about his age), no. 205182, Royal Army Medical Corps, Aldershot Depot.

Height 5ft ½ins, chest 35½ins, eyes grey, hair brown. Next of kin: father James and mother Harriet, Lincoln Grove, Radcliffe

18.7.19: Posted to Depot

16.7.19–15.8.19: Home

16.8.19–12.10.19: Russia

13.10.19–1.3.20: Home

Illness

20.11.19: Transferred from 2nd Scottish General Hospital (Craigleith) to Lord Derby War Hospital, Warrington

23.2.20: Notice that he is about to be brought before an Invaliding board with a view to discharge from the Service. He was serving in 159 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps

1.3.20: Discharged, no longer physically fit for war service. Mental instability degree of disablement 30%. Awarded a weekly pension of 8 shillings 3d (41p) for 10 weeks (Final). Disablement non-attributable to war service. Age 25, single.

NB A Statement of Services document states that his character is ‘Good’ and that he has an incapacity of 60% due to mental instability and that his name has been put forward for issue of a second King’s Certificate. The Pension Record card gave his assessment of disability at 100% on 7th January 1920, a pension of 40 shillings (£2) a week.

Medals Awarded: British War and Victory, Silver War Badge no. 304385
Awarded King’s Certificate no. 9735 12 Aug 1920. Aggravated by service in Russian Theatre

Pension record cards

Pension card 1 corroborates the pension amount of 8 shillings 3d awarded on 1 March 1920 as detailed in his Army Service records.

Pension card 2 gives his disability as ‘Confusional insanity aggravated by Service’. Degree of disablement was assessed at 100% on 7 January 1920 – a pension of 40 shillings (£2) a week was awarded for six months. According to this card his pension first commenced on 18 April 1917. ‘Treatment’ is noted on the card and although there are no further details of the pension paid after July 1920, entries in note form appear on the front of the card up to 1932, implying its continuation (unable to decipher these).

Other Information

George may have been a patient in Notts County Asylum after his discharge from service. The hospital records report that in 1921 George Leeson, age 34, a service patient, was discharged, ‘relieved’.

From the 1939 Register

Address: Ministry of Pensions hospital in Chepstow, Monmouthshire

Occupation: previously fitters mate. Now a patient at the hospital

Reasons for inclusion on the Radcliffe on Trent Roll of Honour

Born and lived in Radcliffe on Trent.