Gilson, LH

Lieutenant Leo Herbert Gilson

Leo was born on September 7th 1889, the only child of stationery wholesaler Robert Gilson and his wife, Ina. He came to the College from the Prep shortly before his thirteenth birthday and spent the following four years as a pupil, leaving in the spring of 1906 whilst a member of the Modern Upper 4th. Two years later his father passed away and he subsequently took up work very similar to that which his father had held, albeit in his case as a travelling stationery salesman.
In September 1914 Leo volunteered for service, and two months later was granted a commission in the Suffolk Regiment, with whom he was to go to France nearly a year later in October 1915. He saw service at Loos, Hulluch and Festubert, and in January 1916 was promoted to Lieutenant. Having been involved in the capture of three enemy trenches near Givenchy that June, he was subsequently to be involved in the Battle of the Somme. Having been heavily wounded near Ovillers on July 3rd, he lay on the battlefield for the next three days, before being discovered and taken to a casualty clearing station. From there he was transferred to a Hospital in Abbeville, where he died from his injuries three weeks later, on July 29th 1916.