Lieutenant, 5th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.
Died 14th April 1917, age 21.
Buried in Mory Abbey Military Cemetery, France.
Student of electrical engineering.
Leon was born to Benjamin and Bertha Goldseller in 1896 at Manchester, their only child, on 20th February 1896 at Manchester. He was educated Manchester Grammar School’s South Manchester School (1908-1910), Kanno Institute, Belgium and Salford Techinical Insitute. From 1911-13 he worked in his parents business, wholesale cotton fabrics, and for a few months at Pearson’s electrical contractors before joining Manchester University in 1914.
In October 1914 Leon joined the University Officer Training Corps, left in April 1915 when he obtained a commission, and was promoted to Lieutenant in February 1916. As the battalion signal officer on 14th April 1917 Leon led a patrol into No Man’s Land near Bullecourt. Once through the enemy wire they were detected by the Germans who fired upon them wounding Leon in the stomach. His men carried him to an unoccupied trench, organised a stretcher party and under machine gun and sniper fire evacuated him to a dressing station near Ecoust-St-Mein where he later died. He was buried the following day by a Jewish Chaplain. Private Edward Rust, who helped to rescue him from the battlefield was awarded a Military Medal for his actions and Private Charles Chapman who also assisted was awarded a Croix de Guerre.
Leon left effects worth £588 5s 7d to his father.