Norris, Leonard

Leonard Norris was born August 30, 1904, to father Arthur George Norris and mother Elizabeth Wooten, in London, England. Norris emigrated to Canada with his mother from England in April of 1920, where he worked on various farms in the prairies before joining the Communist Party of Canada in 1936. From July 12, 1937, Norris fought in the Spanish Civil War as part of the Mackenzie Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades. During the Spanish Civil War, Norris served at Fuentas De Ebro, Segura de los Banos, The Retreats, the Ebro Offensive, and Gandesa. Norris then contracted tuberculosis and returned home in January of 1939. He later enlisted in the army for the Second World War but was discharged after 3 months due to the progression of tuberculosis.

After the Second World War, Norris participated in various unionization efforts such as the Relief Project Workers' Union and the Canadian Labor Defence League. He was the editor for the Newsletter of the Veterans of the Mackenzie Papineau Battalion and visited Spain with the Veterans Delegation in September of 1979.