Leonard Sharland

Leonard Sharland was born on 30 August 1904 in Well Street, Exeter and moved with the family at and early age to Camperdown Terrace, Exmouth, Devon.

In 1931 Leonard's brother, Charles Sharland, who was a cabinet maker, went out to southern Sudan to Loka and to start a trade school in Lainya, west of Juba.

His first station was at Malek, on the banks of the River Nile where he served a sort of apprenticeship under the original pioneer missionary of the mission in Sudan, Archdeacon Shaw.

He spent a time acting as headmaster in Nugent School Loka, but his main work was amongst the cattle keeping Dinka people.

[5] After returning to England from Sudan in 1958, Leonard spent a year in Limpsfield, Surrey working on manuscript of the Bible translated into the Dinka language.

His eldest son Colonel Peter Roland Sharland, late of The Light Infantry, was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in The New Year Honours 2006.