Garraway, L

Warrant Officer Leonard Garraway

Born on October 11th 1882, Leonard was the only son of Walter and Winifred Garraway. Having previously attended Forest School, Walthamstow, he came to Dulwich at the age of thirteen, and was to stay for two and a half years. Just over a year after leaving, in 1900, he signed up for service in the Royal Navy, and spent time serving aboard both H.M.S. Vindictive and subsequently H.M.S. Illustrious. In 1910 he was discharged and returned to London, where he became an engineer, subsequently moving to the United States in late 1913.
After war was declared Leonard left the United States for India, and signed up once more, this time as a member of the Royal Indian Marine. He spent the war serving in the campaigns in Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf, but was frequently taken ill with a variety of complaints, including dysentery, cholera and malaria. Towards the end of the war he returned to Bombay, and was placed in command of a sloop which was charged with searching all vessels entering the ports of both Bombay and Karachi. Illness was to strike once more, however, as he contracted pneumonia in late 1918, ultimately passing away in a military hospital in Bombay on December 30th 1918. In 1920 he was posthumously awarded the M.B.E. for having rendered valuable services in connection with the military operation in Mesopotamia.
Some sources list him as a Warrant Officer, others list him as a Gunner.