Military History

Leslie is listed is having been killed in action on 16 Jul 1916. The 11th Battalion war diary entries for the period 13th to 16th July 1916 are transcribed below.

1916 July 13 - 10pm: Moved up to trenches and relieved the 8th E Lancs Regt in first support [trench].

1916 July 14: Intense artillery action throughout the day, we were not worried by much.

1916 July 15 - 3.00am: Operation Orders arrived , that the 112 brigade would attack Pozieres 3 at 9:20am today. Conference of commanding officers at 6:30 AM. The dispositions were that the 8^th E Lanc’ Regt were to clear that part of the village S of the Albert-Pozieres Road and the 6^th Bedf Regt the area N of that road. The 11 R. War. R to take up tools and assist the two battalions to consolidate the ground gained. The 10^th L N Lancs Regt was to carry bombs and stores etc. The order of attack was each battalion with 2 Coys in the frontline + 2 in support, each Battalion to follow the other in the following order: 8 E Lancs; 6 Bedf, 11 R.War.R under cover of an intense bombardment. The distance to the objective in view of the enemy was about 1000x. Pozieres what's reported thinly held and with no wire to contend with.

The Bde Advanced according to orders but it was held up quite near to its objective by enemy M/G’s which were in great force, also it was found that the wire on the front to be attacked was not cut. The Bde found itself immobilised in front of the village and with its units more or less intermingled. Capt Brooksopp and 2^nd Lt French of A Coy, 2^nd Lt Stalker of C Coy and 2^nd Lt Bowen of B Coy were wounded very early in the action. A Coy was then without officers and as Acting C.S.M Freeman was with Capt Brocksopp in an unget-at-able position. Sgt Moon took command.

Battn HQ’s was caught when issuing from the trenches by an artillery barrage & M.G. fire and was obliged to take shelter in a shell hole, where it established connection by telephone with Bde HQ. Batt HQ’s were subsequently moved to a trench off the Contalmaison-Pozieres Road whence touch with the companies was maintained by runners and with Bde HQ by telephone (the latter was caught by shell fire during the day about six times and repaired each time with very little delay). Meanwhile the Coys on the left (B, C & D) handmade or found the best cover available and remained in action but were unable to advance, A Coy had ensconced itself in shell holes.

5.00pm: The artillery again bombarded the village and the infantry’s 2nd assault was timed for 6pm. The signal for the second assault being a red rocket. The bombardment though very intense failed to put out the hostile M/G’s and the assault was met with such a fierce fire that it collapsed, though our infantry did not give way, that held their ground with great tenacity. An attempt by the enemy to advance against the flank of A coy was caught by the Lewis Gun of that Coy and was easily crushed. Here L/Cpl Hitchman behaved with great coolness and bravery and was killed at his gun. Capt Millard of D Coy what's wounded and the latter assault. Undercover of the night the Battn was relieved by the 10^th L N Lancs Regt and returned to the support trenches occupied the previous night. Out of 8 Coy officers who went into the action 5 were lost plus 270 other ranks out of 580, a percentage of 48.

The casualties since the Battn arrived in this sector have been 15 officers and 450 other ranks.

1916 July 16 - 3.15am: The Battalion was relieved by the 11th Battn Northumberland Fusiliers & proceeded to billets in Albert.