Leonard Charles Goss was born in the Summer of 1881 in St Pancras in London. He was the third child born to William Goss and Mary Ann Harris who had five children together. Leonard’s siblings were: William James, Ada Florence, John and Grace Dorothy. Leonard grew up in St Pancras where his father William worked as a ‘Plumber’ and after leaving school in 1894, Leonard started work with a manufacturing company in London and was trained to make gas meters. In the late 1890s he met Edith Annie Adams and they became sweethearts but before they were married Leonard’s mother Mary Ann died in 1899 aged only forty.

Edith had been born in India in 1882 where her father William had been serving as a Serjeant in the Royal Artillery and on the Saturday, 16th February 1901, she and Leonard were married in St Pancras. A year later the young couple had moved from London to Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire where Leonard’s mother had come from. Shortly after arriving, Edith gave birth to their first child, a daughter whom they named Grace Beatrice. In the next twelve years the family grew with the births of Mabel Florence, Edward Charles, Ellen Maud, Robert James, Frederick Henry and Ernest John. Edward and Frederick were both killed on active service in World War Two, and their names are commemorated on the Hemel Hempstead War Memorial along with their father.

On 21st November 1904, Leonard enlisted in the Militia joining the 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment at Hertford. He was not quite twenty-two and was working as a ‘Bricklayer’ for George Whitman at Little Gaddesden. He was described as being 5ft 3ins tall, weighing 112lbs (8st), with a fair complexion, hazel eyes and dark brown hair. He was considered ‘Fit’ and underwent a total of sixty-three days training and attended the Annual Camp in 1905. In April 1906, Leonard paid a £1 fee to buy his discharge from the Army and returned to his civilian life in Berkhamsted.

On the outbreak of war, Leonard re-enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment, attesting in Hemel Hempstead in September 1914 and following refresher training he was sent to France where he disembarked at Le Havre on the 2nd February 1915. Given his previous military experience he was soon promoted Lance Corporal and during 1915 he fought in the Battles of Neuve Chapelle in March, Festubert in May, Givenchy in June and Loos in September. He survived all of these engagements but much more was still to come in 1916.

On the 1st July 1916 the 2nd Bedfordshires fought in the Battle of Albert the first major engagement of the Somme offensive. Over the next five months Leonard saw action at Bazentin Ridge, Delville Wood, Pozières, Flers-Courcelette, Thiepval and Transloy Ridges and finally, Ancre in November. He came through these horrific battles unscathed once again, but his luck would run out a little over five months later.

In April 1917, the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment fought in the Battle of Arras and it was here that Leonard met his end. On the third day of the attack the Battalion War Diary recorded the following: “11 Apr 1917 At 4 a.m. Battalion Hd.Qrs.[sic] moved up to N.32.d.0/6. At 5.30 a.m. attack started SOUTH OF RIVER. "D" in front. "A" in Support. NORTH OF RIVER "B" in front. "C" in Support. Attack held up almost at once, came under heavy enfilade M.G. fire and wire was uncut. German Trenches very strongly held. "D" and "A" Companies dug in about N.33.b.7/8 to N.33.b.6/2. "B" Company dug in about N.27.c.7/4 and held on there. "C" Company remained in Support to "B" Company. The attack by 21st Division on our RIGHT was held up. At 10 a.m. 4 Tanks appeared on our Left and crossed German Line. They were of no assistance as no scheme of co-operation with us had been worked out.”

During the six hours of this action the Battalion incurred a total of eighty-nine casualties comprising: “OTHER RANKS Killed 13. Died of Wounds 4 Missing 2 Wounded 63 Wounded at duty 5 Shell Shock 2”.

Leonard was one of the thirteen men who fell on Wednesday, 11th April 1917.

When Leonard died his children were all under the age of fifteen and the youngest Ernest John was only six months old. Edith was left to raise their young family alone and was awarded an Army pension totalling 36s 3d per week which diminished by 2s 6d per week as each child reached the age of sixteen. The sum awarded was approximately equivalent to £97 today and was barely enough at the time to feed, clothe and raise a young family of seven children. This was a common situation during the Great War and in many cases widowed wives would remarry or at the very least go out to work, in order to have enough to raise their families.

Leonard is Remembered with Honour in St. Martin Calvaire British Cemetery, St. Martin-Sur-Cojeul, Pas-de-Calais, France where he is interred in Grave I.A.29.

He was 35 years old when he died.

Leonard was entitled to the 1914 – 15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.