Leslie Wilfrid Lund was born in Derby on 2 June 1891 to Edwin Thomas Lund (born 1856 in Dunnington, Yorkshire) and Mary Sophia (born 1858 in Drayton, Norfolk). In the 1901 Census Leslie is listed as living at 193 Old Road West, Gravesend with his parents and 5 siblings – 3 brothers, Bernard William (born 08/11/1885), Reginald John (born 1888) and Archibald Kenneth (born 18/11/1894), and 2 sisters, Marjorie (born 06/02/1887) and Dorothy Joyce (born 17/07/1896). Leslie’s father is listed as an Ironmonger’s Assistant.
The first school that Leslie attended was the Kempthorne Street School, a Higher Grade British school located in Kempthorne Street, Gravesend. This school had been open since at least the early 1880s, as it is listed in the 1882 edition of Kelly’s Directory. Kempthorne Street School closed in 1909, with the pupils transferring to the newly built Cecil Road School.
He continued his education at The Gravesend Municipal Day School (now Gravesend Grammar School) from 1903. The Municipal Day School had been originally opened in 1893 as a school of science and art, located in Darnley Street close to Gravesend Railway Station. (With the move of Gravesend Grammar School in 1938 to its present site in Milton Road, the original school building is now the Victoria Centre for Adult Education). Bernard and Marjorie also attended the School from 1898, Archibald from 1907 and Dorothy from 1908. At the time that Leslie attended the School, the 1902 Education Act had been passed and the school had become a recognised Secondary School. Although still a fee-paying school, there were scholarships available, however it is unknown as to whether Leslie and his siblings were scholarship pupils. The Headmaster at the time was H F A Wigley, BA, FCS. The family address according to the School Admissions Register in 1903 was 66 Windmill Street, Gravesend.
By the time of the 1911 Census Leslie at 19 was listed as a Junior Chemist at a Cement Works, boarding with the Little family at Townsend, Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire. The Lund family home according to the Census was 15 Norfolk Road, Gravesend. Both Reginald and Dorothy were still living with their parents and Reginald was then a Schoolmaster. Marjorie had moved to Leicester and was also working as an Assistant Teacher.
At the outbreak of World War One, Leslie had also become a School Teacher, working at the Church Street School (Gravesend Reporter 30/10/1915 p.5). He enlisted in Gravesend as a Corporal in the Royal Engineers, 188th Field Company (Special Brigade), Regiment No. 113202. After training he arrived in France on 31 August 1915 and less than a month later he was killed in action on 25 September 1915, age 24. The address listed for his parents in 1915 was Sunnycroft, 32 Parrock Avenue, Gravesend.
Leslie Wilfrid Lund is remembered at Loos Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Panel 4 and 5.
Brother Bernard Lund served with the Royal West Kent’s from 6 September 1914, on his attestation papers he is listed as a Marine Engineer working for E and H Sandford, Gravesend. Reginald served with the Territorial Force from 30 June 1911 and Archibald served in the Merchant Navy.