Stern L H 2nd Lt 13th London Regiment
SEC.-LIEUT. LEONARD H. STERN, OF THE 13th LONDON REGIMENT.
A brilliant student, as well as a fine and promising Officer, was lost to the country by the death in action at the Battle of Fromelles, Flanders, of Second-Lieutenant Leonard H. Stern.
Born at Synagogue House, Stepney, September 12th, 1891, Second-Lieutenant Stern was the elder son of the Rev. J. F. Stern, the minister of the East London Synagogue, Stepney, and Mrs. Stern.
He was educated at the Preparatory School, Holly Hill, Hampstead, and University College School. Proceeding to Cambridge in 1910 as an Exhibitioner in Classics of Magdalene College, he was elected a Scholar of his College, in the following year. He also held the Cambridge Jewish Exhibition. In June, 1913, he graduated B.A.,taking a First Class in the Classical Tripos in that year, and in the following year a Second Class in the History Tripos.
An athlete as well as a scholar, he obtained his College Football Colours in 1912, and in the same year played for his College against Magdalene College, Oxford. He was a member of his school Cadet Corps, and subsequently joined the Cambridge O. T. C. He was also a member of the Cambridge Union Society.
During the whole time that he was at the University, Second-Lieutenant Stern took an active part in the affairs of the Cambridge Hebrew Congregation, and held in succession the several Synagogue offices. He was an occasional speaker at the Union, and read several papers at College Societies.
A young man always keenly interested in the welfare of others, he devoted a considerable part of his vacations to social work in East London, and was a manager of the Stepney Jewish Lads’ Club and the Oxford and St. George’s Jewish Lads’ Club. He also took a great interest in the Boy Scouts’ movement, and became a Scout Master of the seventh Stepney Troop, B. P. Scouts.
When war broke out he co-operated with other Toynbee Hall workers in the organisation of the East London Scouts for public service in the Metropolis. He enlisted as a private in the 13th County of London (Kensington) Regiment, and, a thorough soldier from the first, was not long before he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
In February, 1915, he obtained his Commission, and went to the front in the following month. On Sunday, May 9th, this young soldier, who, had his life been spared, would assuredly have accomplished much noble and useful work, met his heroic death. The Battle of Fromelles, which is the subject of a graphic letter contributed to the “Times” of June 19th, 1915, by an Officer who took part in the engagement, and which appears under the headlines “Kensingtons in Action,” “Imperishable Glory,” and “A famous Sunday described,” will live for ever in history, and though the bitterest sorrow must have been experienced by those who mourn the loss of the gallant men who fell that day, they must also have felt intense pride at the thought of the manner in which they fell.
A Service in memory of Lieutenant Stern was held on May 30th at the East London Synagogue, of which his father has been minister for more than a quarter of a century, when an eloquent tribute to the life and character of his “Son of the Sanctuary” was paid by the Rev. S. Levy, M.A., Minister of the New Synagogue, Stamford Hill, who had known him from his childhood.
How greatly Lieutenant Stern’s courage was admired, and how much he was loved by Officers and men of his Regiment alike, is shown by the following extracts from letters received after his death by his parents.
Col. Fred W. Lewis wrote:-
“You can indeed take consolation in the way your son met his death- he fell gallantly. He had a dangerous job, but he went through with it, setting a fine example to his men. I grieve to think it cost him his life. We have lost a promising Officer.”
Major H. G. Stafford wrote:-
“It may be some small consolation to you to know that he met his death leading his men in the true British way. Although he had only been with us a short time he had already won the esteem of his brother-officers, and gave great promise as an Officer. He was put in charge of the bombers and he showed zeal and initiative in his work. Col. Lewis… desires me to express his great regret at the loss of so promising an Officer.”
And from Captain Kimber, D.S.O., the following frank and sincere tribute was received:
“What splendid work he did with Knight. He was probably coming to tell me what had happened, but as he was hit just before he reached me, of course he had no opportunity…. He was a brave and splendid lad.”
Private Robert Knight, in a letter to his own parents, thus describes the last heroic deed by which Lieutenant Stern met his death:
“The scrap started at 5 a.m. on Sunday and I was a bomber. There was a forty minutes bombardment of their trenches, and then the mine which had been dug under their trench was let off. That was the signal for us to be up and doing. Over the parapet we went, right through their first line and then their second. Alas! they got their machine guns working and then the poor Kensingtons went down like chaff. We got to the third line of German trenches and our job was to bomb them out by walking along the trench. I was carrying the bombs and one bullet amongst them would have meant picking up the pieces. They were in a bag on my back. We got into a trench and could see the heads of five Germans coming along towards us. Mr. Stern (he is the Officer) handed me a bomb and then lit it. I threw it and it went up with four and a half Germans with it, but the other half accounted for me.. As we passed, Mr. Stern yelled, ‘look out,’ and shot off his revolver. This German had got up on his elbow and fired at my back. Mr. Stern’s shot was a fraction of a second earlier and so spoilt his aim. The bullet slid between the bag of bombs from the middle of my back along my ribs, out at my shoulder blade, and then through my left arm. It felt as though someone had hit me with a big stick. Mr. Stern took the bombs and went on alone. Poor fellow, he was seriously wounded further on and was unable to move. We took and held the third line, but supports could not get up in time. Of all the Kensingtons there are but forty-seven left unharmed. Poor 16th Platoon led the charge and were all wiped out. It was terrible. It took me seven hours to crawl out The swines of German snipers were potting at any wounded they saw move.”
The following very short extract, taken from a letter written by Private J. R. Lansberg, sums up, in a few words, the true character of this gallant
English-Jew, who so willingly gave his life for his Country :-
“He was wounded several times and died a hero’s death, thinking of others all the time.”
Source : The British Roll Of Honour Vol 1
Stern L H 2nd Lt 13th London Regiment
STERN, LEONARD HERMAN, 2nd Lieut. 13th Battn. (Princess Louise’s Kensington Battn.) The London Regt. (T.F.), elder s. of the Rev. Joseph Frederick Stern, Minister of the East London Synagogue, Stepney, since 1887; b. Synagogue House, Stepney, 12 Sept. 1891; educ. at The Preparatory School, Holly Hill, Hampstead, and University College School. Proceeding to Cambridge in 1910 as an Exhibitioner in Classics of Magdalene College, he was elected a Scholar of his College in the following year. He also held the Cambridge Jewish Exhibition. He graduated B.A. in 1913, taking a First-Class in the Honours Classical Tripos in that year. In the following year he gained Second-Class Honours in the History Tripos. He obtained his college football colours in 1912, in which year he played in the College team against Magdalen College, Oxford. He was a member of his school Cadet Corps, and subsequently joined the Cambridge O.T.C., in which he obtained the rank of Sergt. Throughout his stay at the University he took an active part in the affairs of the Cambridge Hebrew Congregation, holding in succession the several Synagogue offices. He was an occasional speaker at the Union Society, and read several papers at college societies. He devoted a considerable part of his vacations to social work in East London, being a manager of the Stepney Jewish Lads’ Club and the Oxford and St. George’s Lads’ Club. He also took a keen interest in the Boy Scouts movement, and became a scoutmaster of the 7th Stepney Troop B.P. Scouts.
On the outbreak of war he cooperated with other Toynbee Hall workers in the organisation of the East London Scouts for public service in the Metropolis. He enlisted in the ranks of the Kensington Battn. of The London Regt. with a number of the lads of his troop, and shortly after was made a sergt. of his company. He obtained his commission as 2nd Lieut. in the same regt. 6 Feb. 1915, and left for France on 7 March, was wounded several times, and was killed in action at the Battle of Fromelles, 9 May, 1915; unm. Col. Fred E. Lewis wrote: “He fell gallantly. He had a dangerous job, but he went through with it, setting a fine example to his men. I grieve to think it cost him his life. We have lost a promising officer.” And Major N. E. Stafford, in notifying his death to the Depot Officer of the regt., said: “He met his death leading his men in the true British way. Although he had only been with us a short time, he had already won the esteem of his brother officers, and gave great promise as an officer. He was put in charge of the bombers, and he showed zeal and initiative in his work. Col. Lewis, who has gone to hospital very ill, desires me to express his great regret at the loss of so promising an officer.”
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1
