Leonard Nichols was born 1899 in Bourne. His early years were spent on his paternal grandfather’s farm, Top of Northorpe, Thurlby, near Bourne. Father Jesse, who worked on the farm and mother Elizabeth had two more children there. In 1908 the family left the farm and came to live in Stamford at 19 Alexandra Terrace. Jesse became a porter in an ironmonger’s shop.

Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile

In 1911 Leonard, still at school, was the eldest of five children — William born 1904, Grace Lizzie born 1905, Jessie Faith born 1909 and baby Kate Mary. Living with them was a boarder, Charles Langley,  born 1875, a mechanic toolmaker. He was a younger brother of Susan Langley who was living next-door with her family (see Doughty). The Knipe family left Stamford at the beginning of WW1 and moved to a farm at Bainton.
Leonard was only 15 years old then but at some point he went to Peterborough to enlist in the army. He fought on the Western Front as Private 10729 in the Bedfordshire Regiment and later was transferred to the 10th Battalion Essex Regiment as Lance-Corporal 42927.

He was killed in action in September 1918, reported dead on 21 September 1918 and lies in the Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile, Departement l’Aisne, Picardie, France. This is the section of the cemetery containing his grave.