Leonard was born in Vancouver. His father was George Leonard Salter [1876-1954] an accountant of Shaw, Salter and Plommer of 850 Hastings Street West, Vancouver. He had moved west from Brantford, Ontario.
Leonard was educated at Brentwood College, Vancouver Island and University College, Toronto. He Matriculated in 1930 and graduated with a 3rd in history in 1934.
He arrived at Liverpool on 20 September 1930, giving his address on the manifest as Christ Church. He went home in the summer of 1933, arriving back in England on 29 September. On 10 September 1934, he went home to Canada giving his address C/o CPR London office. The college had a new address for him in Toronto.
He joined the Regina Rifles and was a Captain in the 1st Battalion.
He married Nina Sawyer at The King’s Chapel of the Savoy on 26 February 1944. He was killed in action on 16 August 1944.
It was an overcast and cooler day; the battalion was to attack ground near the village of Versainville. In the ensuing battle, they took 85 casualties including seven officers. Of these casualties, seventeen were killed [Leonard was of the highest rank], two died of wounds, two were taken prisoner and one was missing. The remainder were wounded.
He is buried in the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery Plot X. F. 2.