Thank you to Patricia Brazier for the following research.
Leonard was born in Dorking in 1885. His parents; Thomas, a carpenter and Emma were married at St. Pauls Church in Dorking on 28th March 1881.
In the 1891 census; Leonard’s family are living at 5 Orchard Road in Dorking. Leonard has three sisters: Florence aged 8, Ethel aged 7 and Olive aged 5 months and one brother John aged 6.
In the spring of 1892, his little sister Olive died and on 28th January 1901; his mother Emma died.
In December 1903 Leonard joined the East Surrey Regiment. He had previously been employed by Stone & Turner of Dorking as a tin and coppersmith. His attestation papers show that he was 5 feet and 6 inches tall and weighed 126 pounds. He had blue eyes and brown hair. His next of kin are his father and his older brother John who worked for the LBVS Coastal Railway and lived in Forest Hill. On 26th February 1904 he transferred to 4th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade.
In the 1911 census, Leonard is still in the Army and in Barracks at the Citadel in Cairo. He is a Rifleman with the Rifle Brigade, number 262. His father Thomas is living at 5 Lyon Cottages with his new wife Alice who he married in Westcott in 1902. They have one daughter Annie Blanche.
The Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser of 2nd January 1915 lists all Old Boys of St Paul’s school in Dorking, Leonard’s name is mentioned.
Leonard’s medal card shows that he arrived in France on 20th December 1914. The Rifle brigade was involved in many actions on the Western Front, they then moved to Salonika. Records show that Leonard died of illness on 5th October 1918. He is buried in Mika British Cemetery in Kalamaria, Grave number 449.
Leonard’s sister Florence married Charles Cooper in 1907. His sister Ethel married Arthur Clarke in 1912. His father Thomas died in Ewell, Surrey in 1952.
| Born | Dorking, Surrey | |
| Son of | Thomas and Emma Coops | |
| Regiment | 4th Battalion. Prince Consorts Own Rifle Brigade. | |
| Number | 262 | |
| Date of Death | 5th October 1918 | |
| Place of Death | Salonika, Greece | |
| Cause of Death | Died of illness | |
| Age | 32 | |
| Cemetery | Mika British Cemetery, Kalamaria, Greece |
