COLE, Leonard Baker

Personal Details

Attribute	Details
Nationality	British
Date of Birth	1882
Place of Birth	Bilston, Staffordshire, England
Veterinary College and Date of Graduation	London - December 1907

Military Service

Attribute	Details
Last Rank	Captain
Regiment/Service	Army Veterinary Corps
Secondary Regiment	150th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Secondary Unit
First Theatre of War	Egypt and Palestine 1916

Casualty Details

Attribute	Details
Date of Death	09 May 1918
Age at Death	36
Place of Death	Amiens, France
Cause of Death	Self inflicted wounds

Cemetery

Attribute	Details
Cemetery	Daours Communal Cemetery
Location	France
Grave Reference	III.B.47
Commonwealth War Grave	Yes - CWGC Headstone
Emblem or Badge on Headstone	Army Veterinary Corps

Honours and Memorials

Attribute	Details
Name on RCVS Honour Board	Yes
Name In Officers who died in Great War	No
Medals and Awards	British War Medal 1914-1918 Victory Medal

Biography

Captain Leonard Baker Cole MRCVS was the youngest son of Stephen Bullock and Lydia Cole of Bilston near Wolverhampton in Staffordshire. He was educated at Wolverhampton Grammar School and the Royal Veterinary College, London, where he qualified in December 1907. He went into practice on Wednesday in Bilston and later in Margate and Ramsgate in Kent.

He joined the Army Veterinary Corps in March 1916 with the rank of Lieutenant and spent twelve months serving in Egypt and Palestine. In May 1918, he was sent to France, where he was attached to a Brigade of Royal Field Artillery stationed near Amiens.

He died of self-inflicted wounds on 9th May 1918, aged 36, and is buried in Dauors Communal Cemetery Extension.

The Court of Inquiry into Cole’s death believed that the strain of service in Egypt had affected his general health. He was described as a good officer but with a nervous disposition.

Captain Cole’s obituary appeared in The Veterinary Record on 24 August 1918.

Media and Documents