The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Private L Watkins

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Private Leslie  WATKINS, G/20607, 7th Battalion,  Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment,  killed in action,  Flanders France, death presumed on or after, 21st March 1918, age 19.

26th December 1898, born Thurnham, Kent, son of Alfred William and Elizabeth Rale? Watkins, Ware Street, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent.

1911 Census - Boot Maker, Ware Street, Thurnham, near Maidstone, Kent - Alfred Watkins, head, age 48, married, boot maker, employer, home, born Yalding, Kent; Elizabeth Watkins, wife, age 44, married 24 years, 7 children, all still alive, born Maidstone, Kent; Alfred Watkins, son, age 24, single, gardener, domestic, worker, born Maidstone, Kent; Bertie Watkins, son, age 20, single, gardener, domestic, worker, born Thurnham, Kent; Sidney Watkins, son, age 13, nothing, born Thurnham, Kent; Leslie Watkins, son, age 12, school, born Thurnham, Kent; Albert Watkins, son, age 9, school, born Thurnham, Kent.

Enlisted London, age 17 years & 9 months, height 5ft 7¼ inches, weight 108lbs. Resided 10 Grosvenor Square, London, W. Formerly indoor servant.

Allotment of Pay of 3/6 a week payable to Mother.

Home 10th October 1916 to 28th January 1918; BEF 29th January 1918 to 21st March 1918.

10th October 1916, enlisted; 10th October 1916, to Army Reserve, Service No.TR/10/34963; 20th February 1917, mobilized & posted; 21st June 1917, transferred & posted 209th Infantry Battalion; 1st December 1917, posted 51st (Grad) Battalion, (Middlesex Regiment); 29th January 1918, posted BEF; 29th January 1918, embarked / disembarked; 29th January 1918, Etaples, Infantry Base Depot; 31st January 1918, transferred & posted 7th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment; 3rd February 1918, joined Battalion, In the Field; 21st March 1918, posted missing; 19th August 1918, Body found and buried Official German List.

28th October 1919, Statement of Relatives - Widow, none; Children, none; Father, Alfred W Watkins, Ware Street, Bearsted, Maidstone; Mother, Elizabeth R Watkins, Ware Street, Bearsted, Maidstone; Brothers - Alfred C W Watkins, age 32, Ware Street,  Maidstone, Kent; Spencer R Watkins, age 30, he is on his way to East Africa; Bertie S Watkins, age 28, Chaple Lane, Thurnham, near Maidstone; Percy G C? Watkins, age 24, 39 South Camp, Ripon, Yorkshire; Sidney E Watkins, age 22, Dunorlan, Tunbridge Wells; Albert V Watkins, age 18, 10 Grosvenor Square, London, W; Sisters - none.

Commemorated at Pozieres Memorial, Panel 58 and 59, Somme, France.