2nd Lieutenant Thomas Leslie McGeorge

• Age: 26
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: 1/5 MANCHESTERS
• Died on Friday 6th August 1915
• Commemorated at: Helles Memorial
  Panel Ref: Panel 159-171

Thomas Leslie McGeorge was born on the 28^th November 1888, the son of Thomas James McGeorge and his wife Euphemia (nee Gardener) who were married in Sefton Parish Church on the 06^th November 1882, giving their residence as Waterloo.  His father was from Liverpool and his mother was born in Rio Grande, Brazil, but was a British subject by parentage. Thomas Leslie was baptised in St. Peter’s Church, Liverpool on the 09^th February 1889. His parents were then living in Ivanhoe Road, and his father’s occupation is shown as  a fruit broker.  He appears to have been called Leslie by the family.

Leslie was the youngest surviving child; he had a brother Reginald, and two sisters, Veronica and Mary. The youngest child, Alan, died in infancy. His father was long involved in the fruit trade and was a founding partner of the fruit brokering company McGeorge & Jardine which had been trading in apples, oranges, and other fruit since being formed from an earlier firm, Connolly, McGeorge & Jardine, in 1884.   

In 1891 the family is still at 12 Ivanhoe Road, Toxteth Park.  His father, Thomas James is aged 35 and is a fruit broker’s agent born in Liverpool, whilst his mother Euphemia is 34 years of age and was born in Brazil. Their children all born in Liverpool are listed as; Reginald, 7, Veronica 5, Mary 3, Thomas L. is 2. The family has four domestic servants.

 
In 1901 they are living at 3 Greenhey, Riverdale Road, Garston. His father is a fruit broker’s agent, and older brother Reginald, 17, is a fruit broker’s clerk. Thomas Leslie is 12. The family has four domestic servants: a cook, a waitress, and two housemaids. 

In 1911 the family live at Woolton Hill House, Woolton.  His father is a 55 year old fruit broker, his mother is aged 54. They advise that they have been married for 28 years and have had five children, four of whom have survived.  Thomas Leslie is aged 22, single, and employed as a fruit broker’s salesman. His sister, Mary, 23, is at home, as well as his niece, Veronica McClelland, who is just 4 months old.  There are four servants, plus a visitor, Minnie Owen, 25, from Wales.

According to a newspaper article, his father retired from the family business in 1912, and his younger brother William continued the firm alongside his nephew Thomas Leslie McGeorge and William Jardine.  McGeorge and Jardine was later incorporated as Connolloy & Shaw Ltd.

Soon after war was declared, Leslie enlisted in 17^th Bn King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, as Private 16081.  Whilst undertaking his training, he was discharged in order to attend Officer Training. He was commissioned as 2^nd Lieutenant in April 1915 in the 5th Bn Manchester Regiment.  The 5^th Manchesters landed at Gallipoli on 6^th May 1915. The medal roll shows that Leslie disembarked on 7^th July.  

He was killed in action, aged 26, one month later, on 8^th August 1915.  His body was never recovered, and he is remembered on the Helles Memorial.

The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea.

The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. On 6 August, further landings were made at Suvla, just north of Anzac, and the climax of the campaign came in early August when simultaneous assaults were launched on all three fronts. However, the difficult terrain and stiff Turkish resistance soon led to the stalemate of trench warfare. From the end of August, no further serious action was fought and the lines remained unchanged. The peninsula was successfully evacuated in December and early January 1916.

The Helles Memorial serves the dual function of Commonwealth battle memorial for the whole Gallipoli campaign and place of commemoration for many of those Commonwealth servicemen who died there and have no known grave.

The United Kingdom and Indian forces named on the memorial died in operations throughout the peninsula, the Australians at Helles. There are also panels for those who were lost at sea, in one of the troopships sunk off Gallipoli. Over 20,000 names are commemorated on this memorial.

There are four other Memorials to the Missing at Gallipoli. The Lone Pine, Hill 60, and Chunuk Bair Memorials commemorate Australian and New Zealanders at Anzac. The Twelve Tree Copse Memorial commemorates the New Zealanders at Helles. Naval casualties of the United Kingdom lost or buried at sea are recorded on their respective Memorials at Portsmouth, Plymouth and Chatham, in the United Kingdom.

There was evidently some confusion over his date of death. His medal card shows he was killed in action on 06th April 1915. CWGC gives his date of death as 8^th August 1915, and his parents must have been told their son died earlier. At the time of his death, his parents were living at 27 Alexandra Drive, Sefton Park. 

Soldiers Effects to father Thomas James, no Pension record found. 

Probate -  Thomas Leslie McGeorge of 1 Temple Court, probate granted 29th March 1916 to father Thomas James. Effects £7,513 5s 1d (Resworn £9,272 19s 10d.) 

One year later, on 07^th August 1916, his parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo: 

 “ In loving memory of Second Lieutenant T. Leslie McGeorge (5^th Manchester Regiment), younger son of T.J. McGeorge, Woolton, killed in action at Gallipoli, August 6-7 1915.” 

Thomas Leslie is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 23

All Saints Church, Liverpool

St Peter's Church Woolton 

YMCA Liverpool

Woolton Golf Club 

His father died in December 1935 aged 80, and his mother six months later aged 79.  Their estate went to their surviving son Reginald  and their two sons in law.