Leslie Albert Mann was born in 1906, in Gosport, Hants, the son of a serving Lance Sergeant in the Royal Marines. On 1 January 1921, aged just fourteen, Leslie enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Gosport, joining the Chatham Division as a Bugler. His service record presents a steady, if unremarkable, picture: his conduct was consistently rated “Very Good,” and his ability generally “Satisfactory.” On 11 February 1927, he was awarded a Good Conduct badge, a small recognition reflecting reliability and discipline rather than distinction. He was discharged on 29 July 1929, having completed eight and a half years’ service.
Returning to civilian life, Leslie settled in Rochester, Kent, a town closely tied to the Royal Marines through its proximity to Chatham Dockyard. In 1936, he married Florence Cottle; no children appear to have been born of the marriage. He found employment with the Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham Gas Company, working as a Maintenance Fitter and Collector – practical, skilled work that suggests a man accustomed to routine and responsibility.
The outbreak of the Second World War drew him back into uniform, this time with the Royal Army Service Corps in a non-combatant role, supporting the movement and supply of troops.
In the spring of 1941, Leslie was posted to Greece during the Allied campaign to resist German invasion. By April, the situation had deteriorated rapidly, and a large-scale evacuation was underway under the direction of the Mediterranean Fleet. Amid the confusion and urgency of withdrawal, Leslie became caught up in one of the most devastating episodes of the campaign.
On 27 April 1941, the Dutch transport Slamat, heavily laden with evacuating troops, was attacked and disabled by German aircraft off Cape Malea. Two Royal Navy destroyers, HMS Diamond and HMS Wryneck, came alongside to rescue survivors. As they withdrew, all three vessels were subjected to further air attack and sunk. The loss of life was catastrophic. Around 1,000 men perished in the destruction of the three ships. Of the approximately 500 soldiers carried aboard Slamat, only eight survived. The crews of all three vessels suffered similarly grievous losses.
Leslie Albert Mann was among those reported missing in the immediate aftermath. For over four years his fate remained uncertain as he was still listed as missing in 1945. In time, it was accepted that he had died on 27 April 1941, one of the many whose bodies were never recovered.
He is commemorated on the Athens Memorial, which bears the names of 760 British, Australian, and New Zealand servicemen who died during the evacuation and have no known grave. Among these are 247 men of the Royal Army Service Corps – soldiers responsible for the organisation of transport and embarkation, roles that often placed such men among the last to leave and, consequently, among the most exposed during the evacuation.
Private Leslie Albert Mann is commemorated on the Athens Memorial, Greece
