We Remember

Leonard Lear

Rank: 
Sergeant Major
Regimental number: 
7407
Unit at enlistment: 
Oxford Light Infantry
Force: 
B.E.F.
Volunteered or conscripted: 
Volunteered
Survived the war: 
Yes
Wounded: 
Yes
Cemetery: 
Mount Hope Cemetery, Brantford, Ontario
Commemorated at: 
Grace Anglican Church
Birth country: 
England
Address at enlistment: 
42 Rose Avenue, Brantford, Ontario
Next of kin address: 
42 Rose Avenue, Brantford, Ontario
Trade or calling: 
Painter
Employer: 
J. Usher
Religious denominations: 
Church of England
Marital status: 
Married
Age at enlistment: 
30

Letters and documents

BX May 3, 1915
 
Life in the Trenches For Months Was Monotonous Work for Soldier Boys – Lance Corp. Lear, Brantford Reservist with the 2nd Oxfordshire and Bucks Regiment, Tells of Life in the Water Soaked Trenches From September to April – “This Is Not War But Murder” Wrote Pte. Harry Houlding Telling of the Devastating Effect of the British Artillery – Other Letters 

Life in the trenches for months at a time when the weather consisted largely of rain was none too pleasant but the great majority of the British soldiers who went through it came out smiling. Such a one was Lance Corporal Leonard Lear a British reservist from this city, who is with B. Company, 2nd Oxfordshire and Bucks Light Infantry. From Sept. 21 up to April 15 he had been through the fighting without as much as a mark on him, though he had had several narrow escapes.

Lance-Corp. Lear has written a very interesting letter to The Expositor, which is given in full here with:

April 15, 1915

7407 Lance-Corp. L. Lear,
B. Company, 2nd Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
British Expeditionary Force,
France

To the Editor of the Expositor

Dear Sir,

I have just received a copy of the Daily Expositor, dated Feb. 20, and I can tell you it was very much appreciated by me. It is by no means the first Expositor I have had since I have been at the front, as I like to keep in touch with home affairs as much as possible. I was very much interested in a letter from Lance-Corp. Pizzey, of the Essex Regiment, published in this edition, so I thought it might be of interest to some of my many friends in Brantford to know how I was getting along out here. As you no doubt know I was a reservist and was amongst the first batch to leave Brantford on the evening of Aug. 17.

Before I go any further I should like to let the people of Brantford know that I shall never forget the glorious send-off we received, both at the armories and at the Grand Trunk station. I do not think that during the whole of my seven years as a resident of Brantford that I ever remember seeing so many people turn out on any such occasion. Not even during the Old Home week do I think there was as many people about, and I now take this opportunity of thanking them for the treatment received at their hands.

I left Quebec on August 21 on the S.S. Tunisian, the first boat to leave with reservist for the Old Country, but the second to arrive at Liverpool, the S.S. Virginian leaving one day later but arriving one day earlier. I landed at St. Nazaire, France, on Sept. 21 so you will see I was not kept very long in England. I was only actually twice in the firing line before Christmas, but since that time I have been continually in and out, having but little rest. The weather has been very bad, but am glad to say it is very much better now. I shall never forget leaving a certain town where we had been resting two days before Christmas. We all thought we were going to enjoy the holiday in peace well behind the firing line, but such was not to be, as orders arrived and we had to move off at midnight on Dec. 23. We were taken in motor buses and arrived at a small village about 8 o'clock the next morning. You can guess how I felt on a bitter cold night stuck up on top of a bus for about eight hours. We heard afterwards that we had travelled the great distance of 14 miles in eight hours. The roads were very bad and I thought on several occasions that we were going over into the ditch, but we got through all right after leaving three of the buses at various points along the road stuck in the mud.

Christmas day was spent by us in this village, where we received the Princess Mary's tobacco box and pipe, a very nice present indeed. Two days after Christmas we relieved the Indians in the trenches at ---- and oh, dear, what beautiful trenches they were. The communication trench had about three feet of water in it, but there was nothing else to do but go through it, as to go along the top would be asking for a bullet, the German snipers being very busy at the time. On arriving in the main trench we set to work to make ourselves a dugout, going backwards and forwards all the time through the water to get old doors or whatever we could lay our hands on. Having finished this it started to rain very hard, and it was not very long before the roof of our little home was on top of us, and as the sides of the trench kept falling in, it was impossible to rebuild it so there was nothing else to do but put our waterproof sheets over us and stick it. Out of the 48 hours we were in this trench, I think it rained for about 40 hours  and you can guess we felt all right, what with our boots full of water and the rain pouring down on top of us and nothing to sit down on only the mud. One of our officers wearing jack boots got stuck in the mud and had to come away minus one boot. This is only one instance of trench life, but I could go on and fill up page after page of things that have happened since then, but I will miss a month or two, as I cannot recall anything of special mention.

The trenches we held previous to coming here were at ---- in the brick fields and the German lines were only about 150 yards away. This is where I first experienced their trench mortars. I cannot say that they are a very nice thing to run up against, as they are on top of you without any warning whatever. You can hear an ordinary shell coming several seconds before it explodes over your head, but a shell from a trench mortar is on top of you without any warning whatever. Here also is where I had a couple of close calls, a bullet landing in the trench right between myself and my chum, who by the way, comes from Beamsville, Ont. On another occasion a shell evidently meant for our artillery dropped short and came right through the parapet of our trench, not ten yards from where I stood, scattering the sand bags in all directions, but only wounding one man. The German casualties here must have been heavy because the French and our artillery dropped shells into their trench at intervals day and night.
Now we are holding a position that we held last February. Here there are no trenches, but breastworks, as the ground is low-lying and it is impossible to dig trenches because they fill up with water as fast as they are dug. These breastworks have been built right under the enemy's noses. The first line built is about 50 yards from the German trench, which is on the slope of a hill. Not satisfied with this another line was started about 300 yards in front of the other line and is now nearly complete. Practically speaking we have stolen about 500 yards of ground with but very little loss of life.

I was very glad to see by the papers that the first Canadian contingent is somewhere in the firing line and I believe but a few miles on the left of where I am now. Being well acquainted with several of the Brantford boys with this contingent I should very much like to run across them. I was very sorry to read of the death of Corp. Arthur Smith of the artillery.
Now, I think I must draw to a close, trusting you will excuse me taking up your most valuable space, I remain yours truly,

L. Lear

BX November 5, 1915

Escape Was Wonderful – Pte. Leonard Lear, British Reservist Buried in Dugout by a German Shell

Through a letter to Mrs. A. Lear, of Hamilton, word has been received by his relatives in Brantford, that Pte. Leonard Lear, who left here as a reservist to rejoin his regiment, the Second Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, is confined to a hospital suffering from shock. Pte. Lear has had a most marvelous escape from death. In his letter he states that with four others he was buried in a dugout, when a shell burst. One of the five was blown to pieces, a second was suffocated and the other three, including the Brantford soldier, were dug out through the valorous efforts of 20 comrades. A portion of the letter to Mrs. Lear follows:
 
You will be surprised to hear that I am in the hospital, but you have no need to worry as there is nothing very much the matter with me, I am suffering from shock; having been buried in a dugout. I am very lucky to be alive at all. There were five of us at the time; one was blown to pieces, one suffocated to death and the other three were got out by about 20 men, who worked like niggers under a heavy shell fire.

I am at present in a section of the Canadian hospital, but am going down to the base hospital today.  I am looking forward to getting home, but don’t know whether I shall or not.

BX May 1, 1916

Buried Alive But Dug Out in Time – Corp. L. Lear is Still With His Regiment After Twelve Months Active Service
 
To be buried in a dugout and escape with his life while his chum immediately next to him in the dugout was suffocated was the recent experience of Corporal Leonard Lear, formerly of Brantford. This information was received by Mrs. W. Berry of Grandview, in letters.

Lear was a reservist with the 2nd Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry. He has been for 12 months with his regiment at the front without leave. After he was buried in the dugout he was at a hospital, and later on was for some time at the base depot, at Rouen, but is now back at the front. His time expired on April 25.

BX May 15, 1916
 
Pte. L. Lear Back from Trenches – Was One of Fourteen British Reservists who Left When War Opened
 
After having spent one year and seven months in the trenches in France, Private Leonard Lear, one of the first reservists in Brantford to receive the call to help the Motherland completed his time and returned to Brantford this morning. Although there was uncertainty as to the time of his arrival he was given a fitting reception.

Pte. Lear was a carpenter in Brantford when war broke out. He was a reservist with the Oxfordshire Light Infantry, and in August, 1914, in company with thirteen other reservists he left Brantford. He has now been discharged, having put in his thirteen years of service.

He was at the front with the 2nd Battalion and went through a large number of big engagements. While in a dugout in some quarries at Cabrian, holding the line in October he was slightly wounded. The dugout was struck by a shell and he was buried. He was laid up for some time in the hospital but had been back in the trenches for two months prior to receiving his discharge.

Before enlisting Pte. Lear was living at 43 Rose and was working for Jesse Usher, builder and contractor. His wife and child are at present in England and would have returned with him but for the fact that he only had 24 hours in England in which to catch his boat for Canada. At present he is stopping with Mr. Usher. His family will return later.

Two bands, several hundred soldiers and civic officials met the 9.47 T.H. & B. train from Toronto this morning but he did not arrive till the 11.32 train, when he was met at the station by mayor Bowlby, ex-Mayor Spence, representing the Soldiers' Aid Commission, Ald. Joseph Minshall, Jesse Usher, and one of his personal friends, Harry Charlton. The bands were unable to make the second trip having to accompany a company to the Mohawk ranges.

The civic deputation took the returned hero up to the Market Square. Here the 125th men were just dismissing for lunch and the 215th Battalion turned out to give Lear a cheer. Mayor Bowlby and ex-Mayor Spence spoke, welcoming him home and the soldiers cheered themselves hoarse.

BX December 15, 1917

Brantford Reservist With a Fine Fighting Record – S.M. Leonard Lear Has Been a Soldier Since he Was Sixteen Years Old – Was One of the First to Sail From Canada in August 1914, Reaching the Front One Month Later – Fought at Ypres, Richebourg, Neuve Chapelle and Loos Without Getting a Scratch, Then was Wounded While Brewing a “Billy” of Tea in a Dugout.

“Knots and Lashes,” a weekly newspaper sanctioned by the officer commanding and published by and for the men of the E.T.D., St. Johns, Quebec, has the following story of a Brantford boy:

In the good old days – three years or more ago – the alarm of war had sounded throughout the world. Britain mobilized and sent out calls for her Reservists to report home for duty. One of these reservists was Sergeant-Major Lear.

Born in London, England, January 1886, with a zeal for soldiering in his early youth, he joined the Middlesex Militia when 15 years of age, only to be claimed out on account of age. He joined the East Surrey Militia a year later, and was transferred to the regulars – the Oxfordshire Light Infantry – in 1903. After three years’ service with this regiment he went on reserve, and shortly came out to Canada, settling in Brantford, Ont. Here he was employed by the Massey-Harris Company, but finding indoor work uncongenial, sought employment offers as a carpenter.

First to Sail

Upon mobilization in August, 1914, Sergeant-Major Lear reported to Quebec, and proceeded to England on the Tunisian, the first boat to carry reservists from Canada, from Quebec on August 21.

Arriving in England he reported to the regimental depot at Oxford and was sent from there to Portsmouth, only to stay there one week before departing for France; just one month from date of sailing from Canada. (This should suit the best exacting).

Being thus early on the job, Lear saw quite a lot of heavy fighting, particularly in the defense and first battle of Ypres. He recalls having a good look around the famous Cloth Hall at Ypres before it was shelled. The first Christmas in the trenches was marked by the presentation by Princess Mary of a gift box, a souvenir highly prized by those soldiers who were the fortunate recipients. At Richebourg his regiment was awfully shelled and suffered losses of 420 men and 20 officers. Lear, however, came through with nothing more than a touch of gas. This battle was fought at the same time as Festubert, where our Canadians distinguished themselves. Lear was also engaged in the battles of Neuve Chapelle and Loos, where his regiment again suffered heavily.

Shelled in Dugout

The circumstances whereby Lear received his injuries are interesting. His regiment was holding the front lines at the quarries near La Bassee when the Germans became suspicious of some activity in the lines and commenced shelling heavily. S.M. Lear, a sergeant, and a party of stretcher-bearers took shelter in a dugout, and soon after, while brewing a “Billy” of tea, a shell come through the roof. The shell hit the man next to him, but did not explode. The dugout roof collapsed, burying the whole party. When they were afterwards excavated, two were dead (one hit by the shell, the other suffocated), the remainder were severely injured; Lear being cut and bruised in several places and suffering from shock.

He was sent to Etretat Hospital, a picturesque little place about 20 miles from Havre. Here he stayed three weeks and from there went to the convalescent camp at Havre, from thence to Rouen and later back to his old regiment. Two months later he was granted his discharge owing to poor health as a result of his injuries.

Sent to Canada

The British Government sent him home back to Canada, and on his return to Brantford, he was accorded a very hearty reception. Civil life however was impossible, and the return of good health brought with it the yearning to get into the fight again. Seven months from the date of his discharge therefore saw Lear as a sapper in the Canadian Engineers. His previous experience as a soldier and his ability soon procured for him the steady promotion he deserved.

Congratulated by King

Sergt.-Major Lear was not a recipient of one of the three V.C. Medals presented to his regiment at Bailleau, but was one of those who received the congratulations of His Majesty for the sterling fights they had put up with.

Lear served in the early days of the war under Sir Douglas Haig and Sir Charles Munro. He has seen 16 years of soldiering and as related here, plenty of action. In his capacity of C.S.M. here at the depot he is highly esteemed and we only hope his next meeting with the Hun will be a good deal nearer the Rhine than his former meeting was.

BX November 28, 1970

LEAR – Suddenly, in Brantford on Friday, November 27, 1970 at his residence, 313 Dalhousie Street, Leonard R. Lear (member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, local 183, retired labor union organizer), in his 85th year; husband of Sophia Sirman; dear father of John and Mrs. Blake (Dorothy) Lambier, both of Brantford; brother of Mrs. May Smith, England; also survived by 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren; predeceased by his first wife the former Alice Amelia Sirman in 1953.  Resting at Hill and Robinson Limited Funeral Home, Nelson and Queen Streets until Monday.  Service in the chapel at 2 p.m.  Interment in Mount Hope Cemetery.  Archdeacon F.C. McRitchie will officiate.

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