Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookam Philip Boghurst; _b._ The White House, Woolpit, co. Suffolk, 22 Nov. 1887; educ. Epsom College; passed his A.R.I.B.A. in June, 1913, and was assistant in the firm of Messrs. Wratten and Godfrey, London; volunteered on the outbreak of war, but was five times refused at the recruiting station on account of wearing glasses, and acted as Special Constable from Aug. to Nov. 1914, when he was at last accepted by Queen Victoria's Rifles, and joined the 1st Battn.; trained at Crowborough Camp, where he twice refused Corporal's stripes, as he thought it would keep him in England longer; went to France with a draft, 27 March, 1915; was severely wounded in the head on 8 April, 1915, and died at Overcliff Red Cross Hospital, Westcliff-on-Sea, on 14 May following; _unm._ [Illustration: =William L. B. Leech.=] =LEEK, WILLIAM=, A.B., 218963, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =LEES, EDMUND HASTINGS HARCOURT=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Border Regt., _s._ of Thomas Orde Hastings Lees, of Guilsborough, co. Northampton, Barrister-at-Law, formerly Chief Constable of that county; _b._ Northampton, 21 Dec. 1875; educ. Marlborough, Royal Academy, Gosport, and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut., 2nd Border Regt., 5 Sept. 1896, promoted Lieut. 10 Feb. 1900, and Capt. 24 June, 1906; was Adjutant to a Territorial Battn. (The Artists' Rifles), 19 Oct. 1909 to 20 Oct. 1912; served in the South African War, 1899-1901; took part in operations in Cape Colony, south of Orange River, 1899; in Natal, 1899; relief of Ladysmith, including actions at Colenso; operations of 17 to 24 Jan. 1900, and action at Spion Kop; operations of 5 to 7 Feb. 1900, and action at Vaal Kranz; operations on Tugela Heights (14 to 27 Feb. 1900), and action at Pieter's Hill; operations in the Orange Free State, April and May, 1900; operations in the Transvaal, June, 1900; in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, July, 1900; in the Transvaal, west of Pretoria, July to Nov. 1900, in Orange River Colony, May, 1900; in Cape Colony, north of Orange River, May, 1900; in the Transvaal from 30 Nov. 1900 (was wounded and mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 10 Sept. 1901], received Queen's medal with six clasps); and with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Sept. 1914 to 26 Oct. 1914, was killed in action at Ruiseek, near Ypres (whilst defending Calais) on the latter date. An officer referring to this action wrote: "Our men fought desperately from nine o'clock till six, when the Germans withdrew, and our little remnant was ordered to retire. We have only about 400 men left out of over 1,000 and hardly any N.C.O's." [Illustration: =Edmund Hastings H. Lees.=] =LEES, PERCY BERESFORD=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Northamptonshire Regt., _s._ of Col. Charles Percy Lees, of Herne Lodge, Oundle, co. Northampton, by his wife, Anna Madeleine, dau. of Edward Whetham Allpress; _b._ Newton Hall, Middlewich, co. Chester, 12 June, 1890; educ. Wellington College and the School of Mines, Camborne, where he took his degree; was engaged in mining in Canada when war broke out, and at once returned to England, applied for a commission, and was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 3rd Northamptons, 14 Oct. 1914; went to France, 1 March, 1915, where he joined the 2nd Battn., and was killed in action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle, 12 March, 1915. Buried at Neuve Chapelle; _unm._ =LEES, THOMAS PRIOR=, Major, 9th Battn. (Queen Victoria's Rifles) London Regt. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of the late Alfred Lees, by his wife, Rosa Matilda, dau. of Thomas Flood; _b._ at the Old Priory, Bedford, 3 Sept. 1874; educ. Bedford Modern School and Clare College, Cambridge (M.A. and 8th Senior Optime). Entered the Home Civil Service, Senior Division, and was Assistant Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Burlington Gardens. Joined the old Victoria and St. George's Rifles, 22 May, 1889; became Capt., March, 1905, and Major, 15 Aug. 1913; obtained Special Certificate, Chelsea Barracks, and passed the Army examinations for Field Rank (distinguished). He volunteered with the officers of his regt. for active service during the South African War, but only a limited number were required, and he remained in England. Volunteered for the present war, landed in France, 5 Nov. 1915. The battn. went straight into the trenches and was afterwards attached to 13th Infantry Brigade. On 17 April the brigade was detailed for the capture of "Hill 60." The fighting was so severe during the 17th, 18th and 19th that the West Kents, Scottish Borderers, Yorks L.I and West Riding Regts., who had fought magnificently, were withdrawn and another brigade brought up. The Queen Victoria's had been occupied in carrying munitions to the front trenches, but miraculously escaped with few casualties. They were not relieved with their brigade. On the night of the 20th the enemy took the trenches on the top of the hill, and Major Lees counter-attacked with two companies, the rest of the battn. being held in reserve in dug-outs near the foot of the hill, where they were subjected to a terrible bombardment lasting for hours. Major Lees' night assault was successful. He then found he was the senior officer left alive on the hill and reorganised the defence. The German artillery and machine-gun fire was continuous, save when they launched repeated infantry attacks against our trenches. About 5 a.m. on the 21st, Major Lees had gone to the most exposed trench held by the Bedford Regt., in which there were nearly 300 of our killed and wounded. The enemy were assaulting, showering grenades into the trench and sweeping the parapet with machine-gun fire. It was at this critical moment that he was shot through the head and heart, only 10 yards from the Germans, while shouting orders to hold on. He fell off the parapet into the arms of a Sergt. of the Bedfords and never spoke again. The N.C.Os. and riflemen were heroic. Out of the 150 men with Major Lees all were killed and wounded, except 20 who were still holding on with 2nd Lieut. Wolley, V.C., when relieved by the Devons and Camerons. Lieut.-Col. Shipley, C.M.G., wrote to his brother, Major Lees, late 3rd South Wales Borderers: "He died like a hero, having retaken and made good a position of primary importance which the enemy were on the point of re-occupying. His last gallant charge was, as he would have wished it, to the assistance of his county regt., the Bedfordshires. The last words I heard him speak as he led his company off into the trenches were: 'Now, remember, if anyone is wounded, the others must carry on. If I am hit, go on.' It was his initiative and courageous behaviour that has enabled us to hold on to the position. I cannot even attempt to tell you what a stupendous loss his is to the regt. and myself, but we must console ourselves by remembering and trying to emulate your brother's unswerving devotion to duty and the unflinching gallantry shown by him in all times of stress; his life so earnestly devoted to others will live in our memories |