Albert Leonard Ellison was born in July 1890 in Hampstead, Middlesex, the fourth son of Henry Ellison and Emily Berry and known as ‘Len’ to his family. William, Joseph and Herbert were Len’s older brothers and he had six younger sisters and brothers; Eva, Bertie, Beatrice, Edith, Alexander and the youngest child Leslie.

When Len was born the family lived in Hampstead where his father worked as a Gardener and by 1901 they were living in the Lodge at Roundwood House in Willesden where Henry was Head Gardener. His employer was the renowned Victorian construction engineer and benefactor George Furness and it may have been due to his death in 1900, followed soon after in 1902 by the tragic drowning of Sarah Rebecca Furness his wife, that led to Henry Ellison seeking employment elsewhere.

By 1911 the family had moved to Hemel Hempstead and Henry was working as a Gardener at ‘Orchard House’ on Bury Hill. Twenty-year-old Len was employed as a Groom and worked for Mr Gregory Hast owner of Adeyfield Farm.

In common with many men working in occupations such as farming and agricultural labouring, Len enlisted on the 19th December 1908 in the newly formed Territorial Force (TF), as a way of supplementing his wage. The Territorial Force (TF) was the volunteer reserve component of the British Army and came into existence in 1908 following government legislation, specifically the Territorial and Reserve Forces Act 1907. This act combined and re-organised the old Volunteer Army with the Yeomanry. The initial impetus for the creation of the TF came from Joseph Lyons, who also co-founded the eponymous chain of cafes known as the Lyons Corner Houses.

The TF was formed on 1 April 1908 and as part of the same process, remaining units of militia were renamed Special Reserve. It was envisaged as a home defence force for service during wartime and units were liable to serve anywhere within the United Kingdom when the force was embodied, but could not be compelled to serve outside the country.

Len enlisted with 2 Battery Hertfordshire Royal Field Artillery attached to the 4th East Anglian Brigade. 2 Battery formed at Clarendon Hall, Watford, from elements of the 2nd Hertfordshire Volunteer Bn. of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

Aged eighteen and a half, Len was 5ft 2½in tall and his physical condition was ‘Fair’, good enough to pass him ‘Fit’ for military service and his appointment was duly approved. He became 229 Driver Ellison and over the next four years attended annual training camps with the TF at Lydd in Kent, Thetford in Norfolk and finally at Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire in 1912. His service with the TF terminated on the 18th December 1912 the end of his four-year term.

On the outbreak of war, Len re-enlisted in the last week of August 1914 at Hemel Hempstead with the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment. He trained at Harwich before being sent to France in 1915 where he disembarked on the 17th March as part of the 21st Brigade in the 7th Division. He joined the regiment on the 20th March along with the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Beds, Major John Mackenzie VC DCM who was killed one day after Len at the Battle of Festubert.

On the 12th April, Len was present when Sir John French, Commander in Chief of the British Expeditionary Force inspected and addressed each of the Battalions at Estaires. He began by acknowledging the gallantry of the Bedfordshires at the Battle of Neuve Chappelle: “Men of Bedfordshire - I have come here today to tell you how much indebted I am to you for your recent work. I know what you have done. I know the losses you have suffered. I need not go into the detail of the part you played in the three days battle at NEUVE CHAPELLE. But I know no Battalion pushed forward with more gallantry than you did.” He concluded by saying: “I want every officer, Non-commissioned officer and man of this Regiment to feel that I give them my personal thanks for the splendid work that they have done.” The Battalion war diaries record that there were twenty-four officers and 779 other ranks present when Sir John spoke.

Just over one month later, Len took part in the Battle of Festubert which was the first British army night attack of the war. The war diaries record that: "16 May 1915 7th Division attack at 3 a.m. 21st Inf.Bde. in reserve. After successful assault of enemy trenches by 20th & 22nd Bdes. 'D' & 'A' Coys. after supporting assault with covering fires, with machine Guns under 2nd Lt.W.H.George [Walter Hope GEORGE] on right flank, occupied old German trench consolidating it & turning it into fire trench, for our use…" It was after this assault, whilst holding the captured German trenches, that Len was killed.

It appears he died instantly having been shot in the back of the neck as witnessed by his friend and Corporal D. Lyall. Lyall subsequently wrote to Len’s family and details of his letter were published in the Gazette a fortnight later. Corporal Lyall explained how Len died and that his comrades were unable to bury him due to orders for the Battalion to move. This must have been distressing news for Len’s family but it was not uncommon for fallen soldiers to be left where they lay in the heat of battle and often other units following behind had the task of burying the dead after actions had ceased.

A further letter was received by his parents from Private Alfred Hoe who was wounded shortly before Len was killed. Private Hoe wrote from his hospital bed to offer sympathy and said that: “It was planned between him and Leonard that if one of them was unlucky they would write to the parents.” This was done while they were under terrific shell fire. It appears that both of Len’s comrades who had written to his family survived the conflict.

Len was killed on Sunday, 16th May 1915.

He is Remembered with Honour at Le Touret Memorial, Pas de Calais, France on Panel 10 & 11.

Len was only 20 years old when he died.

He was eligible for the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.