ashworth

An interesting case here. The collar badges are distinctly those of the West Yorkshire Regiment and definitely not the York and Lancs. There is a record of a Second Lieutenant Leonard Ashworth of the West Yorkshire Regiment reported Missing in Action on 7th January 1918, but then annotated 'Repatriated' 7th January 1918. (Forces War Records). There is no record of a corresponding Leonard Ashworth at the CWGC website. There are two Leonard Ashworths awarded Silver War Badges in acknowledgement of their Service.//

Leonard Ashworth's commission in the West Yorkshire Regiment is published in the Supplement to the London Gazette of 6th July 1916 at page 6733.

He has the look of a man in his late twenties, but possibly tempered by previous service and front line experience. My guess would be that he is an officer commissioned from the ranks after volunteering as a Private soldier in the early days of the war. He may therefore have been serving other than in the West Yorkshire Regiment prior to his selection for commission. There are two likely Leonard Ashworths who stand out as 'possibles'; one born 1890 at East Retford in Nottinghamshire, and the other born 1891 at Haslingdean in Lancashire.

The other soldiers commissioned into the West Yorkshires in the same Gazette may provide a further clue.//

Help piece together the Life Stories of more than 8 million men and women who made a contribution during the First World War at www.livesofthefirstworldwar.org/

Ralf Dahrendorf (1929-2009): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralf_Dahrendorf John Ashworth (b. 1938): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ashworth

Sir John Ashworth (b. 1938): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ashworth

My ancestor was private Frederick Henry Ashworth of the East Surrey’s. Can you confirm if this is him?