Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Sapper Leonard Wasse was born in Barton-Upon-Irwell near Manchester in 1884.  His father, John Angelo Wasse was a painter of miniature portraits whose son from his first marriage, Arthur Cramer James Wasse, was a noted artist who lived most of his life in Rothenberg, Germany.  He retained his British nationality but lived in Germany throughout the war.  http://www.lythamstannesartcollection.org/goodbye-by-arthur-wasse.html

By 1901, Leonard’s father had passed away and his mother Margaret had remarried and was living in Malpas, Cheshire with three children from her first marriage.  It has not been possible to trace Leonard or his siblings in the 1911 Census, despite his mother and step-father still residing in Malpas.  In 1914, Leonard enlisted into the Territorial Force Royal Engineers in Sheffield.  Before the war Leonard painted wagons and engines and lived in Halifax.

In July 1916, he passed through Peterborough in transit to or from Somerleyton Camp, Lowestoft, whilst serving with the 460^th Company Royal Engineers.  There is no service history until his death which is reported in France on 19 August 1917.  His unit were engaged with the enemy in the small French village of Vaulx-Vraucourt, south of Arras.  Unusually for a junior rank, his wounding and death the following day,  at Ecoust-Saint-Mein, was recorded in the Company War Diary, as was his subsequent burial in the  Favreuil Military Cemetery.  Leonard was awarded the British War and Allied Victory medals.

Sapper Leonard Wasse was 33 years old when he died and he is remembered on the Malpas War Memorial.

We are grateful to Mike Wasse for supplying information and photographs of Leonard.