24848 Private Leonard John Yalden
M.M.
2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers
1st July 1916
Born in Gibraltar in 1893. His parents were William Yalden (1864-1933) and Henrietta Emma Lake (16/05/1867-1958). They were married on 20/02/1889.
Leonard had 2 brothers, Herbert George (15/01/1891-05/10/1974) and Frederick Walter (10/01/1905-1996). He also had a sister,
Alice Louisa Gladys (08/07/1898-02/07/1991).
William was a regular soldier (Regimental number1182) serving in the 2nd Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps (ending his service at the rank of Serjeant) and therefore the family moving from place to place. Herbert was born in Dublin, Leonard in Gibraltar and Alice in South Africa, where William fought in the Boar war (1899-1902) in the Transvaal , the defence of Ladysmith and Laing's Nek.
The family had moved back to England, by the time that Frederick was born in 1905 and in the 1911 census the family were recorded as living at Oak Lodge, Matthews Green, Wokingham, Berkshire. William had left the army and was now an army pensioner and also a gardener. Leonard was being employed as a messenger for a doctors dispensary.
Leonard enlisted in Wokingham originally as Private 44200 in the Royal Army Medical Corps(R.A.M.C) and was sent to the Dardanelles on 04/10/1915. Whilst there he was transferred to the South Wales Borderers and probably around March 1916 were shipped back to Europe to serve on the Western front in France.
He was reported missing on 01/07/1916.
Reading Observer – Saturday 12 August 1916
Casualties
Pte. Leonard Yalden, South Wales Borderers has been missing since early in July. He joined first the R.A.M.C., where he was making good progress, and was subsequently transferred, in the Dardanelles, to the South Wales Borderers. His parents reside at Rose Villa, Embrook.
Leonard was awarded a Military Medal and on 14/11/1916 The Gazette issue 29819 reported "His Majesty the King has been graciously pleased to award the Military Medal for bravery in the field.". Sadly I have not been able to discover when, where and the reason why he was given this award.
Reading Mercury – Saturday 18 August 1917
War Heroes Honoured
Presentation at Reading
A very interesting and impressive ceremony was witnessed in the Market Place, Reading, on Thursday morning, when Major – General W.G.B.Western, C.B., in command of the Administrative Southern Command, publicly presented Distinguished Conduct and Military Medals to the following non-commissioned officers and next-of-kin of deceased soldiers:-
…
Mr. Yalden, father of the late Private L. Yalden, 2nd South Wales Borderers, of Wokingham: Military Medal.
A pathetic war spectacle, the father of the late
Private Yalden, South Wales Borderers of Wokingham,
receiving the Military Medal awarded to his son from
Major General W.G. Western C.B., in the market place, Reading. On this occasion a D.C.M. and several Military Medals were distributed. Behind the Mayor of Reading
is Colonel Chase.
His brother Herbert had also enlisted as Private 1949 (then 204006) Princess Charlotte of Wales's(Royal Berkshire) Regiment. He had been in France since 30/03/1915.
Reading Mercury – Saturday 16 September 1916
Local men in casualty lists:-
…
Lance Corporal H.G. Yalden , Royal Berks, of Embrook was wounded on August 28 . His brother Private L. Yalden, South Wales Borderers has previously been reported missing.
On 06/09/1917 the War Office Daily List No. 5357 made the announcement concerning Leonard, "Previously reported missing now reported killed."
Leonard was also awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.