George William Leatherland, son of William and Kathleen Irene Leatherland, of Old Radford, Nottingham, enlisted into The South Staffordshire Regiment and volunteered for airborne forces in 1945.Private Leatherland undertook parachute training course B177 from 19 August to 7 September 1945 at RAF Ringway. He went to the Holding Battalion and was later posted to the 2nd Parachute Battalion.

Pte Leatherland died, aged 20 years, in Palestine on 25 October 1947 when the lorry he was travelling in collided with another military vehicle, killing fourteen military personnel. He is now buried in Khayat Beach War Cemetery, Israel.