William Biddle MC DCM & Bar, MM & Bar (aka Leonard)

[Gareth Davies]

I was looking through lists of men with multiple gallantry awards this morning and found Leonard who apparently is really William.  William was a bit of a dude:

 

https://www.militaryimages.net/media/william-biddle.104257/

 

Along the way it seems that he changed his name to Leonard. The CWGC are sure that this is the same man.  

[Steven Broomfield]

Good Lord!

 

I have just looked him up in A Gallant County, a record of the regiments of Gloucestershire in the GW by Robin Grist (Pen & Sword 2018); not unsurprisingly, he gets a few mentions. Biddle's disciplinary record is described as 'woeful', but in November 1914 he was appointed Signal Sergeant - either cream rising to the top or last one standing, I suppose! The only thing to add is that he represented the Glosters at the Funeral of the Unknown Warrior.

 

There was another Gloster who won a slack handful of gongs (o.r. commissioned) but I believe he was attached fro the Wotcesters and I cannot remember his name.

[corisande]

[Steven Broomfield]

'Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct'.

 

Blimey - stretching the qualification criteria a bit there.

[Muerrisch]

"The CWGC are sure that this is the same man". 

 

Like John Kipling sure?

[Gareth Davies]

Good point!

[IPT]

On the 1939 register, Leonard, who was born 18/12/1881, is confirmed as having been 5172022 1st Glosters, William's later service number.

[Gareth Davies]

Thank you.

[IPT]

I'm intrigued as to whether he did change his name to Leonard in later life, or was he an actual Leonard who served as William? 

[Guest]

I am the grand son of William Biddle no. 5820  1st Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment.    

I have his birth certificate which lists his name as Leonard.

He was my mother’s father and I was always told that he died from a bombing in Clacton on Sea.      

I have many documents relating to my grandfather as well as letters from senior offices.

Should you wish further information on my grandfather I may be contacted at {Email address removed by Moderator for anti-spam purposes - we suggest using the forum messaging system}.
 

 

[corisande]

He died 22 Sep 1940 and is in a CWGC grace - details on CWGC . (this is on OP) And is indeed buried in Clacton, as a civilian war casualty

 

I cannot get any newspaper reference to his death. It is unclear to me whether he died in an air raid, and if so whether it was at Brentwood or Clacton

 

 

Edited 27 March , 2021 by corisande

[travers61]

Looks like he died in an incident at West Avenue, Clacton, as this civilian Miss Adria Kathleen Bush of 72 West Avenue also died in hospital on the same day after being injured in West Avenue.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3107145/ADRIA KATHLEEN BUSH/

 

Leonard's 1939 Register entry shows him with his wife at 108 West Avenue, and 72 West Avenue as a boarding house.

 

Being on the coast in addition to bombing raids Clacton could be subject to machine gunning by fighters, attack by planes attempting to bomb coastal convoys, or bombing by planes crossing the coast after unsucessful raids that were dumping their load on the last town they saw.

 

The Brentwood address could just be where his widow was after the war when contacted by CWGC or Clacton Council.

 

 

Edited 27 March , 2021 by travers61
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[corisande]

Yes I saw that there were only the two casualties that day in Clacton. I thought it best not to dig too deeply into the matter !

 

The only report I could find of bombing at Clacton was in Apr 1940 when a mine laying Heinkel crashed, which was extensively reported, but nothing else in Sep 1940. Bit odd, particularly as he was such a decorated man

[travers61]

Agreed, nothing obvious online about West Avenue & being on the coast many possible causes, they could even have been manning an ARP post that was hit. Anyway its straying away from WW1 remit of the forum.