Born: 1893, Bradford
Died: 12 November 1915
Buried: Bard Cottage Cemetery, West Vlaanderen
Address: 44 Leyburn Grove, Shipley
Parents: George & Mary, nee Hodgson
Spouse:
Siblings:
Occupation: Teacher
Organisations/clubs:
Military
Rank: Lieutenant
Medals/awards:
Rolls of Honour:
Children:
Regiment: 6 West Riding
Leonard Varley
Leonard was born in 1893 in
Bradford, the son of letterpress
printer George Varley and his wife
Mary, nee Hodgson.
The Shipley Times & Express
reports of his war service also give
detail of a promising career cut
short.
Mr Leonard Varley, only son of Mr
and Mrs George Varley of 44
Leyburn Grove, Shipley, has
recently been made a Lieutenant in
the 6th Battalion Duke of
Wellington’s Regt and is now on
active service.
He was a member of the Officers’
Training Corps at Trinity College,
Cambridge, and soon after war was
declared joined the Duke of
Wellington’s Regt as a second
lieutenant.
22 October 1915
Like so many of the young men
thrust into an officer’s role without
much experience, Leonard was
killed in action shortly after his
promotion
Lieut Leonard Varley was killed in
action on the Western Front on 11
November. He was 22 years old.
Capt S F Marriner sent the news to
Mr George Varley, at 44 Leyburn
Grove, Shipley that his son had
been picked off by a sniper.
‘At the time he was in charge of the
machine gunners and had been
round the gun teams accompanied
by his sergeant who was with him
when he was hit.
‘He was buried in the military
cemetery behind the lines, close to
where two other officers of the
battalion have been laid.’
Lieut Varley had been a pupil of
Belle Vue School, Bradford where
he was awarded the Holden
scholarship which enabled him to
study at Trinity College Cambridge
from where he emerged with a B.A.
with honours. He was also a
member of the Officer Training
Corps at university.
Six weeks before the outbreak of
war he was appointed language
master at the Masonic College,
Bushey, near London but promptly
gave up that post to enlist when
war was declared.
19 November 1915