Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The Second Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902, South Africa.
• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Natural causes is attributed those deaths due to causes that were not directly associated with the war. Included in this are wartime deaths resulting from, for example, theSpanish Influenza pandemic and its associated pneumonia problems and other attributions such as age and exhaustion. It also groups those who through Post Traumatic Stress committed suicide as a result of their experiences.

Detail :

British Medical Journal 8th April 1916: "JOHN T. LEON, M.D.LOND., M.B., B.Sc., CAPTAIN R.A.M.C.(T) .; HONORARY ASSISTANT PHYSICIAN; ROYAL PORTSMOUTH AND GOSPORT HOSPITAL; S..O. PORTSMOUTH COMMAND. DR. JOHN T. LEON, the esteemed Chairman of the Portsmouth Division of the Southern Branch of the British Medical Association, died in the afternoon of March 31st, aged 50, from cerebro-spinal fever. He was almost certainly infected by a patient who coughed in his face during swabbing of the throat, and thus fell a martyr to his devotion to duty. Throughout his illness he was attended by his friends, Lieutenant-Colonel Routh and Major Ridout, and his brother-in-law, Dr. Luff of St. Mary's Hospital, saw him frequently in consultation. Dr. Leon's commission as Captain R.A.M.C.(T.F.), attached to the 5th Southern General Hospital, was dated July 21st, 1908. Dr. Leon was educated at Clifton, and afterwards in Germany. He then entered University College, London, where he was Tufnell Scholar in 1885, and in 1887 he graduated B.Sc.in the University of London. Subsequently he served throughout the South African war, and was for the greater part of the time attached to No. 8 General Hospital at Bloemfontein. Captain Leon leaves a widow and two young children, with whom much sympathy is felt."

Probate LEON John Temple of 23 Grove-road Southsea Hampshire died 30 March 1916 Probate London 15 August to Arthur Lewis Leon of independent means Herbert Garrington Friend official of the Port of London authority and The Public Trustee. Effects 37878 9s. 5d.

Royal Army Medical Corps profile:"John was educated at Clifton College; at University College, London; and at St Mary's Hospital. He started with the intention of being a scientific chemist, and after leaving Clifton went to Germany. Subsequently he entered at University College, London where he was Tufnell scholar in 1885. Two years later he graduated as B.Sc. and in 1890 was appointed assistant lecturer on physics and demonstrator of chemistry in St Mary's Hospital Medical School. After holding those appointments for three years he commenced his medical studies at St Mary's where he had a successful career, graduating M.B. in 1896 and D.P.H. in the following year. After qualifying he was appointed on plague duty in India, where he worked in collaboration with Professor Haffkine. Subsequently he served throughout the South African War and was for the greater part attached to No 8 General Hospital at Bloemfontein. On his return from South Africa he was for a time assistant medical superintendent of Paddington Infirmary, after which he settled in practice at Southsea and was shortly afterwards appointed honorary assistant physician to the Royal Portsmouth and Gosport Hospital. When war was declared, John was mobilised as Captain in the R.A.M.C., T.F. and was appointed sanitary specialist officer for Portsmouth. His duties involved the inspection of the sanitation of the various camps in Hampshire, and the carrying out of the bacteriologic work in connection with the various epidemics that arose. He worked assiduously at these posts, but it was claimed that he had been thoroughly overworked, and was therefore susceptible to infection. On 20th March 1916, John began to display symptoms of cerebro-spinal meningitis, a disease which he had contracted from a military patient under his care. He died ten days later."

Masonic :

His mother lodge is Santa Maria Lodge No. 2682 London where he is recorded as a 37 year old Medical Doctor, resident at Southsea. The register shows that he resigned from this lodge either in 1906 or 1907.

He had already become a joining member of Phoenix Lodge No. 257 at Portsmouth in September 1902 and it is in this lodge he took his Fellow Craft and Master Mason's degrees. The contribution record in the 1910-1921 ledger shows that he was "Killed in Action 6 March 1916."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley