Pte 24860 Arthur Leech

• Age: 18
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Mem14

Arthur Leech was born in Liverpool in June 1898 and he was the son of Richard and Elizabeth Leech (nee Evans), who were married on the 2nd Oct 1893 at St Michael-in-the-Hamlet, Walton. Richard was a 29 year old coachman of Woolton Park, father Joseph, whilst Elizabeth Ann was aged 30 of Burdett St, father David.   

The 1901 Census shows the family living at (Coachmans Cottage), East Albert Road, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. His father, Richard is aged 37, born 1864 in Rushen, in the Isle of Man and is employed as a domestic coachman, whilst his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 38, born 1863 in Liverpool. At the time of the Census, they have three children, Edith aged 4, born 1897, Arthur aged 3, born 1898 and Richard aged 1, born 1900, all born in Liverpool.

The 1911 Census shows the family still living at The Cottage, East Albert Road, Liverpool. His father, Richard, is now recorded as being aged 46, and still employed as a domestic coachman, his mother Elizabeth is shown as being aged 48. They have been married for seventeen years and have had four children. All four children are in the household; Edith is aged 14, Arthur aged 13, Richard aged 11, and Albert aged 9, born 1902.   

Arthur enlisted in Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion as Private 24860 when he was killed in action on the 01st July 1916, aged 18 years. He was originally buried in Vernon Street Cemetery, Carnoy but the location of his remains was lost probably due to enemy shelling.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.   

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on the 25th July 1916:

LEECH - July 1, killed in action, aged 18 years, Arthur Leech ("Pals"). The dearly beloved eldest son of R. and E. Leech, 1a East Albert Road, Sefton Park.

He was also reported killed in action in the local press on 07th August 1916.

He has no known grave and is commemorated on the war memorial in Dantzig Alley British Cemetery, France, where his headstone bears the epitaph:

"HE DIED FOR FREEDOM AND HONOUR"

The village of Mametz was carried by the 7th Division on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, after very hard fighting at Dantzig Alley (a German trench) and other points. The cemetery was begun later in the same month and was used by field ambulances and fighting units until the following November. The ground was lost during the great German advance in March 1918 but regained in August, and a few graves were added to the cemetery in August and September 1918. At the Armistice, the cemetery consisted of 183 graves, now in Plot I, but it was then very greatly increased by graves (almost all of 1916) brought in from the battlefields north and east of Mametz and from certain smaller burial grounds, including:-

VERNON STREET CEMETERY, CARNOY, in the valley between Carnoy and Maricourt, at a place called "Squeak Forward Position". 110 soldiers who died in July-October 1916 were buried here by the 21st Infantry Brigade and other units.

Dantzig Alley British Cemetery now contains 2,053 burials and commemorations of the First World War. 518 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 17 casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 71 casualties buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire.

The cemetery was designed by Sir Herbert Baker.

Soldiers effects and pension to his father Richard.

Arthur is remembered on the war memorial in Christ Church, Linnet Lane, Sefton Park, Liverpool.

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