Cpl 22442 Leslie Kirk

• Age: 26
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Bouchoir New Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: V.A.4

Leslie Kirk was born in 1892 in Birkenhead, the son of Andrew Kirk and his wife Jessie (nee Hay) who were married on 18th April 1887 at St Mary’s Church, Birkenhead.

The 1901 Census finds the family are living at 6 Collingwood Street, Birkenhead. His father, Andrew, is aged 51 a labourer born in Edinburgh, Scotland, his mother, Jessie, is 38 and was born in Birkenhead. Their children all born in Birkenhead are listed as; Margaret 12, Leslie 8, Janet 4 and George 2. Jessie's brothers Arthur Hay 25 and Albert Hay 22 are present.

By the time of the 1911 Census the famiuly have moved to 50 Argyle Street South, Birkenhead. His father, Andrew, is now aged 61 and an ironmongers warehouseman, his mother Jessie is recorded as being 45. They advise that they have been married for 24 years and have had 6 children of whom 5 have survived. Their children in the household are listed as; Margaret E. 22 a checker for soap manufacturer, Leslie 18 is a clerk, Carrie 17 is a chandlers shop assistant, Janet M. 14 a florists assistant and George 11 is at school. Also recorded is a niece Ethel May Hay 13 at school.

Leslie’s service records show that he enlisted on 05th November 1914 in Liverpool and was 22 years 140 days old. He was 5’8” tall, weighed 134lbs with a 37” chest and his religion was C. of E. He joined the 20th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 22442. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

His service records show:

28^th March 1918

FOLIES – MEZIERES – ROUVREL

10.00am Enemy attacked our immediate front but was driven off – Half an hour later enemy was seen in large numbers through ROUVROY to WARVILLERS. About 11 am orders were received that the Battalion would be relieved by 133^rd French Division. The relief was carried out shortly after noon, after a message had been received by telephone that the French were satisfied with the position and that we were to withdraw at once.  

4pm The enemy were then in BEAUFORT. The Battalion assembled at MEZIERES and marched to ROUVREL to billets arriving about 6.30pm.

Leslie now rests at Bouchoir New British Cemetery.

The village of Bouchoir passed into German hands on 27 March 1918 but was recovered by the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade on 9 August 1918. The New British Cemetery was made after the Armistice when graves were brought there from several small Commonwealth cemeteries and from the battlefields round Bouchoir and south of the village. Almost all date from March, April or August 1918 The cemetery now contains 763 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 231 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to five casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Another special memorial commemorates an airman buried in Laboissiere German Cemetery whose grave could not be found. The graves in Plots I and II are numbered consecutively from 1 to 144. Those in Plot III are numbered from 1 to 135, and the same system applies to Plot IV. Plots V and VI are numbered by rows in the usual way. The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

His death was reported in the Birkenhead News on13th April 1918 under the header:

Leslie is also remembered on the following Memorials:

Birkenhead War Memorial, Hamilton Square

Shaftesbury Boys Club Memorial and Book of Remembrance.

His address on the next of kin form was 50 Argyle Street South and his parents and siblings George, Margaret, Caroline and Janet are all still at this address in 1919. 

Leslie's mother died in the June quarter of 1929, aged 63 

We currently have no further information on Leslie Kirk, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.