Leonard Horncastle

The Sphere, 24/11/1917

On 8 July 1908 Leonard Horncastle won the South London Swimming Club’s junior race over a distance of 33 yards and was rewarded with an inscribed copy of Oliver Twist. He was 13 years old. Less than 10 years later, Leonard lost his life in the First World War when he was shot down over northern France. The previous year he had been awarded the Military Cross for bravery.