220501 A/Sjt. Leonard William Lewis MM.British Army 2nd Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment from:Midhurst My Uncle Leonard Lewis who, to circumstances beyond my control, I never met but wish I had, was born in Midhurst, Sussex in 1895 to Leonard and Mary Lewis, one of a number of brothers and sisters.
He enlisted into The Royal Sussex Regiment at Horsham on 15/12/15,and was given the Regimental Number G/8665. He was a coal mechant prior to enlistment.
At this time nothing was known about his service until 1918 when he did something exceptional that warranted the award of the Military Medal, authorised on 10/10/18, so the action must have happened in the previous two-three weeks involving 2RSR.
By this time Leonard was a Corporal/Acting Sargeant, so I imagine a veteran of nearly three years and countless actions. The MM was gazetted in May 1919. Leonard was honourably discharged on 03/04/19, possibly at The Regimental Depot at Chichester.
He went on to marry the widow of Private T Mordle who was killed in action in August 1917.
She was one of the sisters of his father's second wife (1st wife died 1906)
Father remarried in 1908. They were married until 1950 when she passed away, and he lived until 1969, passing away living in Chichester, Sussex.
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