No.6888, Private, Leonard CARTER
Aged 25
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Leonard Carter was born in Brandon (Thetford Q4-1888 4B:367) son of William and Emily CARTER (née SYMONDS). 1891 census...Aged 2, he was at Albion House, Brandon Wood, Brandon with his father William CARTER [39] gun flint maker; his mother Emily [34]; sisters Emily E [14], Mildred [9], Florence [8], Beatrice [7] and Ethel [5]; brothers William [12], John [11], Albert [4] and Edward [1]. All were born in Brandon. 1901 census...Aged 12, he was at London Road, Brandon with his parents; brothers William and Albert (gun flint makers), Edward and Harry [8] born Brandon; sisters Florence, Ethel and Allace [9] born Brandon. 1911 census...Aged 26, he was in India with the 7th Dragoon Guards. Brother Albert was a private in the 1st Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment, in Aden. His widowed mother was housekeeper to Henry Warf at Broomhill Farm,Weeting and his brother Walter Herbert [9], born Brandon, was living there also. His father had died in 1904. Brother Harry enlisted in September 1914 in the Leicester Regiment, transferred to the South Staffordshire Regiment but was discharged after just 86 days. By this time his mother was living at Bradfield, near Walsham. Her address by 1919 was Broomhill, Brandon. His brother Albert was killed in France in 1916. see here |
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He enlisted in Norwich on 22nd January 1906 in Royal Engineers, giving his age as 18 years 3 months. Born in Brandon, a blacksmith having served 3 1/2 year
apprenticeship with Mr. O. Carter in Brandon. He was 5 feet 7.6 inches (171.7 cm)tall, weighed 127 lbs (57.8 kg), chest 32.5" to 35" (82.6 to 88.9 cm), brown eyes, dark brown hair and Church of
England. He was in H Coy, 4th Volunteer Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. He was transferred on 26th January 1906 to the Dragoon Guards, made Shoeing Smith on 5th June 1907 and reverted to Private on 23rd January 1908. Faced a Regimental Courts Martial on 16th January 1909. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 11th November 1912, but demoted on 10th March 1913. According to his documents he had a chequered disciplinary record and medical record which you can see at the "Brandon at War" link lower on this page. Posted to Egypt on 16th Sept. 1908, and to India on 2nd Oct.1910, he returned to UK on 30th Oct.1913 to be discharged at the end of his 7 years in the colours on 1st November 1913. His intended address on discharge was Broomhill, Brandon. Mobilised on 4th August 1914, he joined the BEF in Flanders on 27th August 1914 and died in action on 16th October 1914. Unlike his brother Albert, someone claimed for his clasp to the 1914 Star (not instituted until 1919). The war diary for the day he died :- "16th October 1914- Left billets at 5:30 am advance guard to Brigade.Marched to NEUVE EGLISE from there to PLOEGSTEERT.Took over from the Bays. Advanced by bounds on foot towards Le BIZET, HOUPLINE and FRENGHIEN. Street fighting offered by cyclists. Thick fog in morning , up to 2 pm. "B" and "A" squadrons took over a section of the outposts from LE BIZET to PONT ROUGE. Reserve at PLOEGSTEERT. Thick fog, very heavy firing in front of "A" Sqdn about 7 pm." Leonard's was the only death recorded in his unit. Norwich Mercury Saturday December 5 1914:-"BRANDON HERO'S DEATH"- "For some time grave fears have existed relative to the fate of Private Leonard Carter, son of Mrs Carter, of Broom Hall, Brandon. Even yet Mrs. Carter has received no intimation from the War Office, but the letter of a comrade unfortunately removed any doubt that he had been killed in action. Private Leonard Carter was one of four brothers, all serving their country. He formerly belonged to the 7th Dragoon Guards, but was transferred to the 4th, and it was Private P. Frost of the 4th Dragoon Guards, who in most sympathetic terms conveyed the sad tidings to the family. Addressing his letter to a sister of the deceased, he writes:- "It is my painful duty to inform you that your dear brother Leonard was killed in action at Le Gueer, near St. Ives, on or about 11th October. I and Leonard were the best of chums. I knew him when he worked at Great Barton; also when he came home from the 7th Dragoons. He died a hero's death. We buried him beside a railway station, and erected a little wooden cross on his grave." It may be added that Mrs. Carter's other sons serving with the Forces are Albert Carter, who is a Lance-Corporal, and now at the Front; Private Edward Carter, who has enlisted in the new Army; and Private H. Carter, who enlisted in Canada, and expects to come to England in January. click here to go to the Brandon at War website for more information
photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
