B119318 Rifleman Leonard Joseph Warner was born in Karin Centre, Ontario, on 12 July 1915, the son of Allen and Mary Warner. He left school at age 14 having finished Grade 6, and enjoyed skating and skiing. He married Rita in 1937 and they had two daughters, Dianne and Patricia.

Warner had extensive previous experience as a truck driver but worked as a painter at McIntyre Porcupine Mines Ltd. when he enlisted with the 2nd Battalion Essex Scottish (Reserve) on 21 August 1942 and served with them for one year.  On 17 November 1943, he enlisted in Toronto with the active army and trained in Brantford and Camp Borden.

Warner was absent without leave for 18 days beginning on 24 January 1944 before being apprehended by the military police in Windsor, Ontario. His service records state that he attributed his absence to his mother’s and grandmother’s illnesses and his wife’s miscarriage. He had four more AWOL charges over the next four months—mostly for short periods. Despite this, his training officers gave him generally good reports.

Warner arrived in the United Kingdom on 19 July 1944, in France on 4 September and was posted to The Queen’s Own Rifles on 23 September. He was wounded or injured on 25 January 1945 and eventually returned to the QOR on 9 April.

Rifleman Warner was initially reported missing but later confirmed killed in action near the town of Snippling, Holland on 11 April 1945, aged 30. He is buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, grave reference XI. D. 3.

Excerpt of a letter from Director of Records 21 May 1946:
“Your late husband was last seen in the vicinity of the town of Snippling at about 5″30 am on the 11th April, 1945. Rifleman Warner went forward with a message to another platoon and was not seen again. It was found later that this forward platoon had been surrounded by the enemy and no further word was received concerning the fate of your husband until an official communication was received from Canadian Military Headquarters, London, England on the 5th January, 1946, that he had now been officially reported killed in action.”

A body was later exhumed from a single burial site, identified as Warner, and reburied in Groesbeek Cemetery.

His family had the following engraved on his marker:

MAY HE REST IN PEACE.
SADLY MISSED.
WIFE RITA & DAUGHTERS
PATRICIA ANN, DIANE ELAINE