Leonard Brutnell | South Lincolnshire War Memorials

Biography of Private Leonard Brutnell (41595)
9th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment
Formerly 32264 13th Yorkshire Regiment
32264 11th Reserve Cavalry
Died 7th February 1917

Soldier

Name: Leonard Brutnell Sandall
Date of birth: 1898
Place of Birth: Thurlby, Lincolnshire, England
Date of Birth Registration: January – March 1898
Place of Birth Registration: Bourne, Lincolnshire, England

Father

Name: John Richard Brutnell
DOB: 1873
Place of Birth: Kiesby, Lincolnshire, England
Occupation: Jobbing gardener

Mother

Name: Mary Jane Sandall
DOB: 1875
Place Of Birth: Thurlby, Lincolnshire, England
Marriage: 1899 Bourne District

Siblings: (Name), (DOB), (POB)

Leonard Brutnell Sandall, 1898, Thurlby
Edith Mary Brutnell, 1900, Thurlby
Francis Charles Brutnell, 1901, Thurlby
Richard Lewis Brutnell, 1904, Thurlby
Jessie Irena Brutnell, 1906, Thurlby
Florence Lena Brutnell, 1909, Thurlby

Census

1901: Leonard is living with his parents in the High Street, Thurlby, Lincolnshire.

1911: Leonard is living with his grandmother Martha Sandall at Thurlby, Lincolnshire. The census gives him an age of 13 and he is listed as bring at school.

Relatives in services

None found

Marriage

No marriage for Leonard has been found and because of his age we can assume that he never had the opportunity to marry.

Newspaper Mentions

The Times Thursday 8th March 1917
ROLL OF HONOUR
LISTS OF 900 NAMES.
All are privates, except where otherwise shown. The town shown against each soldier’s nme is the home of his next-of-kin, except when followed by the abbreviation “Enlt.,” when it is his place of enlistment.
KILLED
YORK. R. – Brutnell, 41595 L. (Thurlby)

Lincolnshire Free Press Tuesday 27th March 1917
Thurlby
Born Thurlby and enlisted Bourne, Lincs. Pte. Leonard Brutnell, of Thurlby near Bourne, was wounded early in February by a shell, and died on the 7th of that month. He was a very young soldier, having celebrated his 19th birthday on the first day of this year. He entered the Army in October 1916, joining the Hussars, and after two months training was transferred to the Yorks, proceeded to the Front in December.

Military Records

Attestation Papers

None found

Soldier’s Died In The Great War

These records show thatPrivate Leonard Brutnell, 41595, 9th Bn Yorkshire Hussars (Alexnadra, Princes of Wales’ Own) Regiment was killed in action on 7th February 1917 in the Western European Theatre in France and Flanders.

Pension Records

Available

Effects Left To

Mother Mary J

Medals

The British Medal
The Victory Medal

Memorials

UK:
Thurlby, Roll of Honour in St Firmins Church

Commonwealth War Graves Commission:
In memory of Private Leonard Brutnell, 41595, 9th Bn., Yorkshire Regiment who died on 7 February 1917 Age 19
Son of John Richard and Mary J Brutnell, of High St., Thurlby, Bourne, Lincs.
Remembered with honour, Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Grave XI. A. 9A.

Taken while visiting Lijssenthork Military Cemetery Visitors Centre

Military Service Timeline

Leonard Brutnell was born Leonard Brutnell Sandall on 1st January 1898, in Thurlby to Mary Jane Sandall, and her soon to be husband John Richard Brutnell. He was later baptised at the methodist Chapel in Thurlby in 1900.

John, who was born in Keisby, and Mary were married in 1899 and settled in Mary’s native Thurlby where they went on to bring up their family:-

• Leonard Brutnell Sandall, 1898, Thurlby

• Edith Mary Brutnell, 1900, Thurlby

• Francis Charles Brutnell, 1901, Thurlby

• Richard Lewis Brutnell, 1904, Thurlby

• Jessie Irena Brutnell, 1906, Thurlby

• Florence Lena Brutnell, 1909, Thurlby

In 1901 we find three year old Leonard living with his parents on Thurlby High street. His father working as a general labourer. It is 10 years later we find that schoolboy Leonard is living with his Grandmother Martha Sandall and her elder sister Rebecca farley in Thurlby.

Leonard joined the Army in October 1916 and was at first attached to the 11th Reserve Cavalry and the Yorkshire Hussars. After only two months of training he was transferred to the 13th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment with a service number of 32264.

Leonard’s service records are not available most likely damaged in the WW2 warehouse fire in London where the records were stored. This means we cannot piece together the full story of his war, but we do know he was transferred to the 9th Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment at some point.

From a newspaper account we see that Private Leonard Brutnell was posted to the Western Front in December 1916 with the Yorkshire regiment, after only one month of training since leaving the cavalry and only three months training in total.

In many cases young soldiers would train with their regiment or later in the war with a training reserve unit and then posted to a Battalion for overseas service. In many cases we find that although arriving at the Regiment’s base camp with a posting for one battalion, they were then after a few days posted to another of that Regiment’s, Brigades, or Division’s Battalions that was in need of replacements as by 1917 the attrition rate was very high leaving many Battalions short on fighting strength.

We can only assume that following his posting to the 13th Battalion, Leonard may have had the same fate and was immediately posted to the 9th Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment but in truth we cannot prove if this is the case. At the time the 13th Battalion were in The Somme Sector and the 9th Battalion were in The Ypres Sector.

We do know that Leonard spent his 19th Birthday on The Western Front with the Yorkshire Regiment and from the newspaper clipping and medal rolls also know that he was with the 9th Battalion when early in February 1917 he was wounded by a shell blast.

He would have been taken to a first aid post and then on to a casualty clearing station as the next step to eventually be boarded on an ambulance train and back to a base hospital. Unfortunately for Leonard we know that he is buried in Lijssenthoek Cemetery which was the site of the casualty clearing station and so we know he died of wounds before being transferred away from the front.

We can see from the 9th Battalion Diaries the last few days of Leonard’s service.

31st December 1916 – Zillebeke Bund

Dugouts. Relieved in trenches by 8th Yorkshire Regt. Casualties 1 other rank wounded

1st January 1917 – Zillebeke Bund

Dugouts

(this was the date of Leonard’s 19th birthday)

4th January 1917 – Trenches

Right sector front and support lines. Relieved 8th Yorkshire Regt. Casualties 2 Other Ranks wounded.

8th January 1917 – Divisional reserve

Relieved by 8th Yorks & Lancs Regt. Moved into Huts at Montreal Camp.

16th January 1917 – Trenches

Left sector front and support lines. Relieved 13th Durham Light Infantry, Casualties 1 Other Rank Wounded

20th January 1917 – Ypres

Billets and Barracks. Relieved in trenches by 8th Yorkshire Regt. Casualties 2 Other Ranks Wounded

24th January 1917 – Trenches

Left Sector Front and Support Lines. Relieved 8th Yorkshire Regt. Casualties 2 Other ranks Killed, 6 Wounded.

26th January 1917 – Ypres

Billets and Barracks. Relieved in trenches by 8th Yorkshire Regt.

1st February 1917 – Ypres

Billets and barracks. Moved to Montreal Camp Relieved by 8th Yorks & Lancs

1st February 1917 – Divisional Reserve

Huts at Montreal Camp . Relieved by 12th Durham Light Infantry. Casualties 1 Other rank Died of Wounds

9th February 1917 – Kruisstraat

One company at Kruisstraat, One at Cavalry Barracks, One at Bund, one attached to 8th Yorks.

Regiment in Front Line. Relieved by 8th Yorks regt. Casualties Other Ranks 5 Wounded.

The diary entry for the 9th February would look like during the previous 8 days they had been in the front line and during that time we can only assume that Leonard Brutnell was wounded by the shell blast and was one of the 5 other ranks listed as wounded on that tour.

Sources

WW1 Soldier’s Records (www.ancestry.co.uk)
British Newspaper Archive.
Fold 3
Find My Past
Genealogist
Forces War Records
British Army Service Numbers
War Gratuity Calculator
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Archives – Battalion War Diaries
General Registry Office