Pte 265744 Francis Victor Leedale

• Age: 29
• From: Southport, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 30th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

Francis Victor Leedale was born on 21st April in 1887 in Southport and was baptised on 03rd July 1887 at St Cuthbert's Church, Churchtown, Lancashire. He was the son of Henry William (Harry) Leedale and his wife Elizabeth (nee Frith).

The 1891 Census shows the family living at Heysham Road, North Meols, Ormskirk, Lancashire. His father, Henry William, is aged 38, born in Lancashire in 1853 he is a railway pointman, his mother, Elizabeth, is aged 39, born 1852 in Liverpool and has no occupation listed. They have five children in the household at the time of the Census, Charles Bates aged 13, born 1878 in Liverpool, Alice Ann aged 8, born 1883 and John Henry aged 6, born 1885 are all at school, Francis Victor aged 3, born 188 and Albert Edward who was born in 1891 were all born in Southport. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 28, Poulton Road, Southport. His father Henry William is now shown as aged 50, (Census shows he is now born 1851) is a railway signalman and his mother Elizabeth is aged 52, (now showing born 1849 not 1852) and working as a laundress. They have six children living with them at the time of the Census; Charles Bates aged 22 is a house painter, paper hanger, Alice Ann aged 18,is an assistant in a toyshop, John Henry aged 15 is a tailor’s apprentice, Francis Victor aged 13, is a grocer’s errand boy, Albert Edward is aged 11 and Maud aged 7, born 1894.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 37 Poulton Road Southport. His father Henry William now shown as aged 59, (Census shows he is now born 1852) is still employed as a railway signalman and his mother Elizabeth is shown as aged 62, and has no occupation listed. They have been married for thirty five years and have had six children. They still have four children living with them at the time of the 1911 Census; John Henry aged 27 (Census shows his year of birth as 1884) is a tailor, Francis Victor aged 23, is a grocer’s assistant, Albert Edward is aged 21 and employed as a railway porter and Alice Ann Holmes now aged 28,is married to Wallace Holmes aged 28, born 1883 in Nottingham is employed as a railway goods porter and they have two children Agnes aged 3, born 1908 and Maud born 1911.

Francis Victor was the husband of Jane Leedale (nee Wright), of 79 Rufford Rd, Crossens, Southport who had married in September 1913. Prior to the outbreak of war he had been employed as a railway servant.

They went on to have a daughter May who was born September 1914.

He enlisted in Southport and was serving in the 19^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 265744 when he was killed in action on the 30^th March 1918 aged 30 during the German Spring Offensive. 

As Graham Maddocks points out in his book The Liverpool Pals, the CWGC records 38 men of the 19^th Bn of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as killed in action on 30^th March 1918 when as the Battalion diary below, shown in bold type, records that the men were actually out of the line and safely on the way to St Valery- sur- Somme.

The composite battalion moved off from ROUVREL at 8.30 am at 50 yards interval between companies, arriving at SALEUX at 3.20 pm where they entrained, detraining at ST. VALERY-SUR-SOMME the same night. The night was spent at ST. VALERY-SUR-SOMME.

Apart from those whose bodies were not found and are commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial all but two have burial sites at Savy British Cemetery, which itself is within a couple of miles of Roupy and contains most of the identified men killed on 22^nd March 1918. Therefore, it would appear that the date of death for these men shown as 30^th March 1918 is purely an arbitrary one and that they were in fact killed on 22^nd March.

A local newspaper dated 20.4.18: had the following report:

PRIVATE FRANCIS LEEDALE MISSING.

Information has been received by Mrs Leedale, at present residing at 121 Heysham Road, High Park, that her husband Private Francis Leedale, is reported as missing. Private Leedale, who is 30 years of age, joined the King's Liverpools (Pals) soon after the outbreak of war in October 1914. He was drafted out to France for the first time in July of 1916, and has twice been wounded since that date. Private Leedale was also in hospital at Christmas suffering from dysentery. Mrs Leedale will be glad of any information concerning her husband.       

Francis' body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

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