Leonard Scudder
1939 - greengrocery salesman (Nottingham Co-operative Society Greengrocery Department)
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Leonard was the third son and fourth child of Harry and Sarah Ann Scudder (née Hutchinson).
Harry (b. 1882) and Sarah (b. 1883) were married at Nottingham St Mary on 1 June 1903. Harry (21) was working as a pork butcher and living in a Yard off Count Street, Nottingham, and Sarah Ann (20, occupation not recorded on marriage certificate) was living at 8 Count Street.
They had seven children: Harry b. August 1904, Percy b. July 1907, Irene May b. February 1911, Leonard b. 20 May 1913, Cyril b. March 1917, Kenneth William b. November 1922 and Alma M b. April 1925.
Harry, a railway drayman (Goods Dept., Great Northern Railway), his wife and their three children, Harry (6), Percy (3) and Irene May (1 month, unnamed female child), were living at 13 Bentinck Road, Nottingham in 1911.
Harry and Sarah had moved to 30 Ladysmith Street, Basford, by 1921. In the home on the night of the census were their five children, Harry, a ganger (Gedling Colliery), Percy, Irene and Leonard who were school age, and four year old Cyril. Kenneth was born the following year and Alma in 1925.
Percy married Lilian Edith Lowe (b. 1907) in 1925 and their daughter Beryl L. was born in 1932 (reg. JFM). In 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled, Percy, a butcher/motor driver, and his wife were living at 86 Port Arthur Road, Basford; the record of one other member of the household (probably their daughter) remains closed. Beryl married Robert F Bull in 1956. Lillian died in 1981 (reg. JFM). Percy died four years later in October 1985 (Nottingham Evening Post obituaries).
Irene May (17) of 30 Ladysmith Street, married Reginald Rosam (22, b. 1905), a clerk who was living with his family at 40 Ladysmith Street, at Sneinton St Christopher on 20 August 1928. They had two daughters, Irene b. 1929 (reg. JFM) and Barbara A b. 1933. The family was living at 9 Pelham Road, Worthing, Sussex, in 1939; Reginald was a legal committee clerk (Local Authority). Neither Irene nor her husband have yet been traced after this date other than Irene's name appearing in notices placed in a Nottingham paper following relatives' deaths.
Harry jnr. married Mabel Daykin (b. 1907) in 1934 and their daughter Shirley M. was born the following year. Harry, a foreman 'switch and fitter crossing', and his wife were living at 129 Hereford Road, Bakersfield, in 1939; the record of one member of the household remains closed. Harry died in September 1981 and his widow in 2004 (reg. JFM Birmingham).
Leonard and Elsie M. Green (b. December 1913) were married in 1937 and had one son, Ray, (possibly Colin R. Scudder b. 1938 JAS). Leonard and his wife were living at 25 Greenwood Road, Nottingham, in 1939 (one closed record). Elsie probably continued to live at this address until at least the end of the war. She married Stanley W Cockram in 1952 (JFM) and probably died in 1960 aged 46; her husband may have died in 1976. No records for Elsie earlier than her marriage to Leonard have been identified so far; her middle name, 'Matilda', is recorded only on the CWGC record, and her date of birth is taken from the 1939 Register.
Harry snr. who was still employed as a railway carter, his wife and their three youngest children - Cyril, a fruit salesman, Kenneth, a railway van guard, and Alma an apprentice machinist - were still living at 30 Ladysmith Street in 1939.
Harry snr. died in April 1960 and his widow Sarah in September 1968.
Cyril married Grace Selina Barton on 14 December 1939 (Nottingham Evening Post, 15 December). They were living in Grantham, Lincolnshire, when Grace died in September 1989 (Nottingham Evening Post obituaries). Cyril died in 2004 (reg. Lincolnshire).
Kenneth married Marjorie Joyce (Joyce) Odam in 1947; they had two sons, Alan and Martin. Kenneth died on 5 May 1988 aged 75 and his widow the following month (Nottingham Evening Post obituaries).
Their sister Alma married Desmond C Bentley in 1949; they may have had a daughter, Deborah, in 1954. The only record identified after this date is a notice they placed in the local paper following the death of their sister-in-law, Grace Scudder, in 1989.
The 1/5th Battalion landed in Singapore on 31 January 1942 and Leonard was taken prisoner by the Japanese on 17 February (Japanese record, British record cites 15 February), a few days after Lieutenant General Arthur Percival signed the surrender of Singapore on 15 February.
‘Singapore 1941. In 1941 the Japanese began to attack British locations in the Far East and the Pacific, this included Singapore. The American port of Pearl Habour was attacked by the Japanese in a sign of aggression. America and their ally Britain declared War on Japan & Nazi Germany. The 1/5th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters landed 31 January 1942. British forces surrendered on 15th February. All the Sherwood Foresters taken as Prisoners.’ (www.stand-firm-strike-hard.org.uk/the-sherwood-foresters-in-ww2)
Leonard had been held in Thailand Camp 4. In 1944 he and other prisoners were transferred from Thailand and he died on 12 September 1944 when the transport ship he was on was sunk by submarine.
Leonard's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial which is within Kranji War Cemetery.
The families of Far East prisoners of war had little information about the fate of their relatives and this is reflected in the notices placed in the Nottingham Evening Post by Leonard's family in the years between 1942 and 1945 and for this reason these notices have been included in 'Extra information'.
CWGC Additional information: Son of Harry and Sarah Scudder of 25 Greenwood Road, Sneinton, Nottingham; husband of Elsie Matilda Scudder of Sheinton Dale Nottingham.
Details from Japanese POW record: Name Scudder Leonard. 4983750 15th Sherwood Foresters, 18th Division. DOB 20 May 1913. Occupation labourer. Place of capture Singapore. Date of Capture 17 February 1915. Father’s name Harry, Mother’s name Sarah, 30 Ladysmith St Nottm. Destination of Report. Mrs E Scudder 25 Greenwood Road Nottingham England.
Nottingham Evening Post, 2 April 1942 ‘Missing in Malaya. Private Leonard Scudder, whose home is at 25, Greenwood-road, Sneinton-dale,m Nottingham, is missing in Malaya.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk
Nottingham Evening Post, 31 May 1943: ‘Local War Prisoners. B.S.M Townsend, of 3 Wavereley -terrace, Nottingham, and Pte. Len Scudder Sherwood Foresters, of 25 Greenwood-road, Sneinton-dale, are prisoners in Japanese hands.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, 21 August 1943: ‘Nottm. Prisoners in Far East. The following prisoners of war in the Far East are Nottingham men. Their names have been broadcast by Vatican radio. In Malaya: Pte Scudder, Leonard, 25 Greenwood-road, Sneinton Dale. In Thai (Siam): Gnr. Norton EE (address missing, but announcer said the inquiry originated from Nottingham), and Pte Huston, Edward, 3 Delta-street, New Basford. In Fukuoka, Japan. Job, Harry Cornelius, Yeoman of Signals, belonging to HMS Encounter (155, Lindfield-road, Broxtowe Estate, Aspley; and Gnr Jarvis AJ, 177, Commercial-road, Bulwell.’(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Missing’, 15 March 1945: ‘Scudder. Leonard, third son of Mr and Mrs H. Scudder, aged 31 years, 30 Ladysmith-street. Missing at sea (Jap. P.O.W.) A smiling face, a heart of gold, the dearest boy this world could hold, To the world but one, to us all the world. Broken-hearted mam, dad, brother Ken, sister Alma’. (www.britisnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Missing’. 17 March 1945: ‘Scudder. Leonard. P.O.W. Japs., reported missing at sea. Not just one day but every day in silence we remember. Loving wife Elsie, son Roy, mamma, Arthur (F.O. RAF., missing). Mildred.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Note: Arthur and Mildred have as yet not been identified.
Casualty Reports March 23 1945-20 April 1945: 'Prev. Reported POW in Japanese hands Malaya now reported missing. 1/5th Bn SF. Scudder Pte.'
British POWs Missing Owing to Transport Ships Being Sunk in the Far East 1944-1945': Leonard's name was included in this list.
Nottingham Evening Post, 27 October 1945: ‘Can You Help? News is sought from any ex-P.O.W. who was picked up from the Japanese transport ship sunk last year, regarding Pte. Leonard Scudder, No. 4983730, 15th Sherwood Foresters. His wife, Mrs E Scudder, resides at 25, Greenwood-road, Sneinton-dale.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, 26 November 1945 ‘Local P.O.W.’s death at Sea. Mrs L Scudder, of 25, Greenwood-road, Sneinton-dale, Nottingham, has received official notification that her husband, 4983730 Pte. L. Scudder, of the 1-5th Sherwood Foresters, is presumed to have died at sea on September 12th, 1944. Prior to joining up, Pte. Scudder was employed by the Nottingham Co-operative Society Greengrocery Department.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 28 November 1945: ‘Scudder. Len, died September 12th, 1944, P.O.W. Japanese. Sweet were the days when we were together, love and remembrance will last for ever. Loving wife Elsie, son Roy.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘Deaths’, 3 December 1945: ‘Scudder. On September 12th, 1944, Leonard, P.O.W. (Japanese), third son of Mr and Mrs H Scudder, 30 Ladysmith-street. May God forgive a silent tea and a constant wish that you were here. Time turns the page on every grief, but memory turns back every leaf. His memory is our greatest treasure, in our hearts he will live for ever. Broken-hearted mam, dad, brothers, Harry, Percy, Cyril (Forces) and Ken, sisters Irene, Alma, in-laws [Reginald Rosam, m. 1928], Mabel [m. Harry], Lily [Lillian m. Percy], Grace [m. Cyril].’ (www.britisnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 20 May 1948: ‘Scudder. Proud and beautiful memories of Leonard, a devoted son and brother, lost at sea September 12th, 1944, Jap. P.O.W. His life’s work is done, goodnight, God bless. Loving mam, dad, brothers, sisters, in-laws.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
Photo of Leonard Scudder
Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery (www.cwgc.org)