Worboys, Leslie John Montague

Leslie was the sixth son of James and Charlotte (nee Huffer) Worboys born at Ashwell on 4 April 1896. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

Leslie enlisted with the Bedfordshire Regiment on 15 September 1915. After training at Shoreham he received orders to mobilise on 28 August 1916, reaching Boulogne early on 30 August 1915. In a letter home he referred to his battalion as the ‘Hungry 8^th’. They fought in the Battle of Loos in September and in 1916 engaged in The Battle of the Somme (specifically at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette) where Leslie suffered a gunshot wound to his right foot. In June 1916 his leg was amputated below the knee and he was discharged, no longer fit for military duty. He survived the War.

Leslie was awarded the Victory Medal, the British War Medal and the Silver War Badge.

He is commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour and buried at Ashwell, Hertfordshire.

Leslie married Clara Gertrude Billett in the 2^nd quarter 1917 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire. They had two children, Cadorna Leslie John born on 6 November 1917 and Pricilla R M born in the 2^nd quarter 1922.

After recovering from his leg amputation he trained as a boot and shoe repairer and opened a shop next door to the Rose and Crown pub in Ashwell High Street.

The 1939 census shows them living at Kneesworth, Cambridgeshire with Leslie an independent boot repairer.

He died in 1980.

Leslie’s brothers, Ernest, Harry, and Sidney, all served in the War and survived.