70bgadmin at 12:07, 28 January 2021

2021-01-28T12:07:49Z

70bgadmin: Created page with "{{personnel |Surname and forenames=Leach William C. |Army number=14499459 |Rank=Private |Decorations=None known beyond Service Awards |Date of birth=Born Reigate, Surrey. |Age..."

2021-01-28T10:23:21Z

Created page with "{{personnel |Surname and forenames=Leach William C. |Army number=14499459 |Rank=Private |Decorations=None known beyond Service Awards |Date of birth=Born Reigate, Surrey. |Age..."

New page

{{personnel
|Surname and forenames=Leach William C.
|Army number=14499459
|Rank=Private
|Decorations=None known beyond Service Awards
|Date of birth=Born Reigate, Surrey.
|Age=(At time of death).
|Unit=Conscripted into the General Sraff Corps 10/3/1943. Underwent Basic Training at The Lines, Maidstone, Kent. Transferred to the Queen's Royal Regiment 17/6/1943. Posted to the ? Battalion. Underwent further Infantry Training at Maidstone, together with Anti-Tank Gun training at Shoeburyness on 6 -pounders. Carrier driving training. Transferred to the East Surrey Regiment 19/10/1943. Posted to the 10th Battalion at Portadown and Ballykinlar, then to Horndean and Hambledon. Given Embarkation Leave and then sailed from Newhaven as a Replacement. Served Normandy. Transfer to Warwickshire Regiment cancelled due to a spell of sick leave. Transferred to The Durham Light Infantry 20/7/1944 and posted to the 10th Battalion as a replacement. Transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment on 3/9/1944 on the disbandment of the 10th DLI. Transferred to the Lincolnshire Regiment from 10/12/1944. Transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment from 7/8/1946 to 3/11/1947, including a return to the UK. Demobilised.
|Platoon or other sub-unit=While with 10th DLI served in "S" Company and then "D" Company. In East Yorks served in "D" Company.
|Task or role=Details awaited.
|Joined Brigade=20/7/1944.
|Promotions=None known.
|Wounded=Not so far as is known.
|Prisoner of War=Not so far as is known.
|Died/Killed in action=Date of death not yet known.
|Home address=No family information yet.
}}

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		+
		+	In going through Pte Leach's papers, which provided the service information included above, his grandson also found notes in his handwriting which appeared to be a poem, penned, it is assumed, by his grandfather at the end of the War - the text is set out below:-
		+
		+	We did not know each other then,
		+	As we landed on that foreign shore,
		+	When we quickly changed from boys to men,
		+	In those dark bloody days of 1944.
		+
		+	We thought we knew all about soldiering,
		+	But we found we had so much to learn,
		+	As we went into action with barrels smouldering,
		+	And the Germans sent so much back in return.
		+
		+	The Riflemen through No Man's Land advancing,
		+	With comrades dropping dead by their sides,
		+	The Gunners in gun pits, sweating and toiling,
		+	Firing rounds to save the Infantrymens' hides.
		+
		+	We won many battles in Normandy,
		+	Seeing many tragic and terrible sights,
		+	We overcame the formidable German Army,
		+	And moved onwards to face many more fights.
		+
		+	We raced across France into Belgium,
		+	Fighting over ground where our fathers had fought,
		+	The freed people gave us a wonderful welcome,
		+	But the canals and river brought us up short.
		+
		+	We overcame the obstacles, we were now battle-hardenend and tough,
		+	We smashed our way up the long corridor,
		+	To the lads in the Airborne, who were having it rough,
		+	We got bogged down on the Island, so near to Arnhem's door.
		+
		+	That winter was the worst that folk had known for years,
		+	But the fighting carried on across the land,
		+	The conditions were so bad tough men were reduced to tears,
		+	Some lads were sent to the Bulge, to give the Yanks a hand.
		+
		+	In the Spring it ended, the final shell was fired,
		+	We found some wine and went berserk,
		+	And then went to sleep, by golly we were tired,
		+	Eventually we went back to Blighty, to try and find some work.

Leach William C. Pte 14499459 - Revision history

70bgadmin at 12:07, 28 January 2021

70bgadmin: Created page with "{{personnel |Surname and forenames=Leach William C. |Army number=14499459 |Rank=Private |Decorations=None known beyond Service Awards |Date of birth=Born Reigate, Surrey. |Age..."