Fred Leak (1893-1917)

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An ongoing project to commemorate and research the lives of those who appear on war memorials and rolls of honour in the local area, who served in the military, or whose deaths were linked to conflict.
Fred Leak

Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922

The following extract is from Huddersfield's Roll of Honour: 1914-1922 (2014) by J. Margaret Stansfield:

LEAKE, FRED. Private. No 28383. 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers. Born Holme, Holmfirth. Son of Alfred Leake, Hogley Green Farm, Holmfirth. Educated Holme National School. Assisted his father on the family farm and was also a weaver at Digley Mills. Enlisted April 1916. Killed in action during the Battle of Arras on 13.4.1917, aged 23 years. Has no known grave. Commemorated ARRAS MEMORIAL TO THE MISSING.
His father received the following letter from Captain Griffin, of the R.A.M.C., who wrote, 'It will be some consolation to you in your great loss to know that since he belonged to my section he has always behaved himself in the most gallant manner and only a fortnight ago his conduct was brought before the notice of the General.' He then describes the particular movement in which Private Leake met his death. 'The Battalion had broken through the German lines and the men were resting in a newly won trench when we were subjected to very heavy shelling. Four men were badly wounded and, despite the fact that it was almost certain death to go into that part of the trench, Private Leake immediately ran up and started to dress the wounds of the fallen. Another large shell then burst quite near him and he was struck through the heart and died before I could reach him.'
ROH:- Holme and Holmbridge War Memorial.

Lives of the First World War

The following section is reproduced from the Imperial War Musuems' Lives of the First World War site under the terms of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence.

Fred Leak[1] was born in 1893, the younger of two sons of Alfred and Sarah Leak of Hogley. He was brought up in the Holme area and attended Holme School. His nature was described as ‘of a retiring disposition’ but was noted for his height of 6 feet 1 inch, unusually tall for the time. He was employed as a mill-hand but could turn his hand equally to farming if needed. Before enlisting in April 1916, he was a weaver at Digley Mills.

Fred was killed by a shell burst whilst engaged in an errand of mercy in the trenches, his gallant conduct described by Captain Griffin of the RAMC who wrote to his parents “The Battalion had broken through the German lines and the men were resting in a newly-won trench when we were subjected to very heavy shelling. Four men were badly wounded and despite the fact that it was almost certain death to go into that part of the trench, Private Leak immediately ran up and began to dress the wounds of the fallen. Another large shell then burst quite near him and he was struck through the heart and died before I could reach him.”

Captain Griffin also told them “It will be some consolation to you in your great loss to know that since he belonged to my section he has always behaved himself in the most gallant manner and only a fortnight ago his conduct was brought before the notice of the General.”

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Notes and References

  1. The family's surname is spelt "Leak" in local records.