NUNN, Leonard Joffre


No.975287, Bombardier, Leonard Joffre NUNN
Aged 27


11th (Honourable Artillery Company) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
Killed in Action on Saturday, 13th June 1942


Leonard Joffre NUNN was born on 29th May 1915 (Risbridge Q3-1915 4A:1543) son of Henry and Caroline NUNN (née FITCH).
Leonard's links with Haverhill go back at least 6 generations to about 1695 when his 4 X great grandparents John Nunn and Mary née Willis were born in the town.
He married Ethel Gertrude MILLS [4-1-1913] in 1940 in Halstead (qtr 2 4a:3448)



In the 1939 register he was a clothing packer at factory, living at 13 Waveney Terrace, Haverhill with his father Henry NUNN [25-5-1864] retired mat maker; mother Caroline [15-4-1873]; sisters Florence M.A. NUNN [17-10-1897] a clothing machinist and Dorothy KAEMANA (née NUNN) [16-5-1893] - incapacitated; and Eric R NUNN [26-5-1923] grocer's errand boy.

Prior to joining the Royal Horse Artillery on 18th April 1940 Leonard was employed in the packing department of Messrs D Gurteen and Sons Ltd. He was a keen footballer playing mainly for the Castle Camps and Helions Bumpstead teams, occasionally playing for Haverhill Rovers Reserves. He was also a member of the Haverhill Ex-Sevice Men's Club.



The Honourable Artillery Company, raised by Henry 8th in 1537 is reputedly the second oldest military organisation in the world, after the Vatican's Papal Swiss Guard. Used in the 20th century as a source of officers for other regiments, it nonetheless was in action in it's own right. The Infantry wear a cap badge similar to the Grenadier Guards but with HAC on the grenade. The Artillery badge is similar to that of the Royal Artillery but with "HAC" and "Arma Pacis Fulcra" (Armed Strength for Peace) replacing "Ubique" and "Quo Fas et Gloria Ducunt". The Honourable Artillery Company's "A" and "B" Batteries in 1939 became the 11 (HAC) Regiment of the Royal Horse Artillery and deployed to North Africa late in 1941.

. The Battle of Gazala and The Cauldron took place from 26th May to 21st June, 1942. On 13th June, 21st Panzer advanced from the west to join the battle. The Afrika Korps demonstrated superiority in tactics, combining tanks with anti-tank guns while on the offensive. By the end of the day, the British tank strength had been reduced from 300 tanks to nearer 70. June 13th became known as "Black Saturday" throughout the Eighth Army. The Battle of Gazala cost the Allies around 98,000 men killed, wounded, and captured as well as around 540 tanks. Axis losses were approximately 32,000 casualties and 114 tanks. For his victory and the capture of Tobruk, Rommel was promoted to field marshal by Hitler.

The Haverhill Echo reported on 18th July 1942 that Leonard J Nunn was killed in action on 13th June during operations in the Middle East. He was 27 years of age. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial. Leonard died on the day in the Battle of Knightsbridge when the Germans surrounded the Knightsbridge Box, just south of Acroma in Libya, from where they went on to capture Tobruk. At that time the regiment was equiped with 25 pounder guns, later to be succeeded by the M7 Priest self propelled gun.

CGWC records have 7 of Leonard's unit dying that day.

Transcript of War Diary of 11th HAC Regiment RHA for the date that Leonard was Killed in Action 13/06/1942.
Commanding Officer : Lt Col W M LEGGATT June 1942...RIGEL
11th.. 12th.. 13th.. In the morning 4 Company were persuaded let E Battery withdraw ¾ mile over the ridge to join B Battery but A Battery and the Bays had to go into action at once in a most exposed position to stop an enemy advance. A Battery withdrew towards the blockhouse but were still very exposed and suffered quite a number of casualties. Permission was given for A Battery to withdraw and join the other two (B Battery had been moved nearer to the Scots Guards Box) marking a very strong position with Anti Tank, along the RIGEL Ridge. As anticipated 29 German tanks now advanced out of the setting from having consolidated their position to the East. They overran the Scots Guards Box making the Guardsmen march in front of the tanks but except for overrunning one troop of 239 Battery taking them all prisoners they would not face the mass of …. We had however accomplished our task of holding the ridge till dark in order to let out the Guards Box at KNIGHTSBRIDGE. That night we … where we were and saw the Box Germans go out. 14th.. In the early morning before light the Germans were obviously closing in and did actually raid two leagues of RTR Regiment.


The British 25 pounder




photo: New Zealand War Graves Project



Leonard Nunn is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, column 13

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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