Papers of Leonard George Peirce: Journal and account book made as an engineer on the merchant vessels BERNE, RIO SOROCABA, LE COQ and APOLLO in 1911-1915. Greenwich Royal Hospital School list of prizes, 1905; Continuous Certificate of Discharge Book, 1911-1919; letters of recommendation; Certificate of Competency as First Class Engineer, 1915; war medals certificate, 1920; portrait photograph and HMS MONTAGUA cloth badge. See MSS/70/070 for additional material relating to Peirce.

Administrative / biographical background
Peirce was born at Deptford in 1890 and attended the Royal Hospital School at Greenwich. He completed an apprenticeship with the firm of John H. Storey & Co. at New Cross and then briefly worked with The Thames Iron Works Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd. before going to sea. He was engaged as a junior engineer officer on the vessels BERNE, RIO SOROCABA, LE COQ and then APOLLO. He qualified as Second Class Engineer and then First Class Engineer in 1913-1915 (certificate number 54946). He was an assistant engineer in the Royal Naval Reserve while engaged on the armed merchant cruiser HMS MONTAGUA in 1915-1918. He was then engaged on the WAR STAG. Peirce died of typhoid fever at Victoria Nursing Home at Shanghai in 1922.