Two aviators in the Oise: Leonard Charles Welford and Leslie John Primrose

We encourage CWGF Guides to do their own research into the casualties in our care. Here, Guide Remi Gossart shares his research into two First World War aviators.

Two Aviators in the Oise

Image: Catenoy French National Cemetery (Remi Gossart)

While visiting the Oise region, I decided to look for sites of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. 

Because this region was not part of the British frontlines, there are not as many cemeteries as we can find in the Somme. But thanks to the CWGC application I could find the graves of two soldiers of the British army buried in the Catenoy French National Cemetery, amongst soldiers of the French army. 

In this French cemetery now rests two aviators of the British Army, who fought in France and died during June 1918.

Leonard Charles Welford: a lieutenant of the Royal Air Force

Image: Headstone of Lieutenant Leonard Charles Welford (Remi Gossart)

Leonard Charles Welford was the son of Georges Welford and Fanny Emmeline Mary Jane Welford, and the brother of 6 siblings. 

He was born in Essex on the 4th of August 1893 and married Elsie Ellen Bagot on the 26th of April 1913. He used to be a dairy utensil maker before becoming an auto mechanic prior to the war.

On the 1st October 1916, he joined the Royal Flying Corps, which became the Royal Air Force on the 1st of April 1918 and was to be sent to France to fight. 

Prior to becoming a pilot, he used to be an observer gunner whose mission was to patrol with a pilot and gather intelligence concerning the enemy’s lines.

Leonard served with the 80th Squadron of the Royal Air Force and flew a Sopwith Camel: a British fighter plane which was used since June 1917, mostly on the Western Front. 

Lieutenant Welford crashed with his plane near the city of Clermont in the Oise region, while coming back from a patrol he likely suffered an engine failure. 

He was brought back to a French military hospital in the village of Catenoy. There, he was declared dead of his wounds by the French doctor Louis Fleuri, at 5:30 p.m. on the 7th of June 1918.

He now rests in the Catenoy French Cemetery, on grave 60.

Leslie John Primrose: a Lieutenant of the Australian Flying Corp

Image: Lieutenant Leslie John Primrose (Australian War Memorial)

Leslie John Primrose was the son of John William and Catherine Primrose. He was born on the 14th of May 1890 in Victoria, Australia.

He used to be an Australian Rules footballer when he was in university and graduated to become a school teacher.

Leslie decided to join the army and enlisted on the 2nd of August 1915 when he started his training to become an aviator. He then joined the Australian Flying Corp on the 23rd of December 1916.

After he completed his training and became an aviator, Leslie was sent to Europe where he arrived on April 1917. There he completed his training with flying exercises before being sent to France to fight against the Germans on the western front.

He was wounded after an aeroplane accident on the 20th of September of 1917, and was left with a concussion and a wound to the left shoulder. Even though he had this accident, he got promoted to Lieutenant on the 12th of October 1917. 

Leslie arrived in France in February 1918 as a Lieutenant of the 2nd Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps. He then took part in many fights against German aviators during the German Spring Offensive of 1918.

His squadron was attached to the Royal Air Force 80th Squadron in which Leonard Charles Welford was serving. 

Unfortunately, Leslie John Primrose was killed when his plane crashed on 4th June 1918 when he was coming back from a patrol.

As reported by his major, there is no specific cause of this crash, but his body was retrieved and brought back to Catenoy’s cemetery.

Image: An Extract from Leslie's service record

After her son’s death, Catherine Primrose sent a letter to the French General G. Pau who was visiting Australia. He replied to her, thanking her for the brave sacrifice of her son, and reassuring here that his grave would be properly taken care of. 

Her son, Leslie John Primrose now rests in the Catenoy French National Cemetery on graves 53. On his headstone, his mother wrote this epitaph:
 
“IN MEMORY OF OUR DARLING SON BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES OF OUR DARLING LES”

Words engraved forever, commemorating a son, one of many, who got killed during the war.

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The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation Guides Programme gives young history lovers an opportunity to work for Commonwealth War Graves in France and Belgium.

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