Birch/Burch, L

LEONARD BIRCH

Remembered with honour Basra Memorial: Panel 22 and 63.

He enlisted in London, and was formerly Private 10260 Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry.  He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 21 August 1914, and was killed in action in Mesopotamia.  Unfortunately, Leonard’s Service Record appears to be on that did not survive the World War Two bombing.

Son of Shadrach and Rose/Rosina Annie Emily (nee FIELD) BIRCH of Watford.

His parents married 11 September 1880 at Sts Peter and Paul, Tring, Herts.  Rose died 1925 in Watford aged 67, and was buried 22 January in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford..

Leonard was born 28 March 1893 in Tring.  He attended Holy Rood School, Watford; then Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 31 October 1904 to 27 March 1907.  He resided in Watford.

On the 1901 Census, aged 8 he lived in Watford, with his parents and eight siblings.  On the 1911 Census, a house boy (laundry) and part-time scholar aged 18, he lived at the Herts Reformatory near Ware, Herts.