Born 1894 at Woodford Wells, son of Walter T. (Gardeners Labourer) and Caroline Castle. 1901: With family at Home Cottages, Aldeburgh Place, Woodford Wells. 1911: A young man “Learning the Bicycle Trade” living with his family at South Lodge Knighton where his father was a Gardener. The family home was later 4 Aldeburgh Place.
He enlisted at Walthamstow and arrived to serve with 7 Essex at Gallipoli on 6th November 1915.
By this time the campaign at Gallipoli was all but over, with little ground gained after the initial landings. Like the western front, there was also an amount of tunneling and counter tunneling going on, aimed at placing mines under the opposing lines which would cause devastating injury and destruction.
On 20th November 1915 7 Essex had relieved 5 Suffolk in the front line at Hill 60, when later in the day the Turks exploded a mine under the Essex Barricade in Beech Lane. This destroyed the bombing post at that location, killing 16, and wounding 10. Of the 16, 8 were men of the Welsh Horse who were working in a tunnel gallery near the scene of the explosion. Leonard Castle was among those from 7 Essex who were Killed in Action that day.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com