No.14669686, Private, Leslie CORNWELL
Aged 20
|
Leslie Cornwell was born in Isleham in 1924 (Newmarket Q4-1924 3B:672 son of Evelyn James and Alice H. CORNWELL (née BECKETT).
His parents in 1939 were at Coal Yard Drove, Isleham. Father, Evelyn James [20-4-1896] a farm labourer and mother Hilda A [21-8-1899] with 5 closed entries. |
|
The report in the local paper was as follows:- Soldier's funeral- The remains of Pte Leslie Cornwell, which had been conveyed from a Swindon hospital, where he died of multiple shrapnel wounds, were laid to rest on Thursday afternoon. The interment was preceded by a service in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Mr George Brown officiating. The coffin was draped with the Union Jack...followed by a list of mourners". This newspaper cutting was discovered by Ann Diver amongst her father's memorabilia,it had been sent to him in India as he was a close friend. The undertaker was Ann's grandfather. No way at present of recording where or when Leslie was wounded but the battalion were closing in on the crossing of the Rhine in early March 1945, in the Xanten area. His medal entitlement also cannot be acquired but the ribbon above assumes he had been with his battalion across the Channel. |
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details