Pte 39054 Stanley Leadsom

• Age: 27
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Wednesday 18th October 1916
• Commemorated at: Warlencourt Brit Cem
  Panel Ref: III.F.2

Stanley Leadsom was born on the 03^rd July, in 1889 in Liverpool and was the son of Archibald Wolley and Jessie(nee Gilmour) Leadsom who were married on the 12th Nov 1873 at St. Michael, Toxteth Park. Archibald was a 23 year old publican of Park Rd, father John a publican, whilst Jess was aged 18 also of Park Rd, father William, a shipwright. Stanley was baptised on the 19th October, 1889 at Stanhope Street Wesleyan Methodist Church, Liverpool,was a year  

The 1891 Census shows the family living at 32 Letitia St, Toxteth.

Father Archibald aged 40, a publican born Liverpool, mother Jessie is 36 born Liverpool, children all born Liverpool, Archibald 16 a boy in boot shop, George 9 a scholar, and Stanley 1. 

The 1901 Census shows the family have moved to 384 Kell St, Toxteth.

Father Archibald W. aged 50, a barman in a public house, mother Jessie 43, children Archibald 26 a general labourer, George 19 a baker, Stanley 12, Douglas 10 and Harold 6. 

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 17 Drysdale St, Liverpool.

His father Archibald is aged 61, born in Liverpool in 1850 and occupation carpet and window cleaner. His wife Jessie is aged 52, born 1859. They have four children living at the address having had ten children but six having subsequently died and all born in Liverpool. Archibald Jnr aged 37, born 1874 has no occupation, Stanley aged 21, Douglas aged 19, born 1892 and Harold aged 16, born 1895 all are employed as Carpet and Window Cleaners.

His father died 1913 aged 64. 

He enlisted in Seaforth, Liverpool and was serving in the 18th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 39054 when he was killed in action on the 18th October 1916 aged 27 during the Battle of the Transloy Ridges which was part of the ongoing Somme Offensive.

18^th Bn Diary

18^th October 1916

Attacked German trenches commencing 3.40 am. Relieved by 19^th Manchester Regt. Took up position in support Bn trenches W. of Goose Alley.

Graham Maddocks in his book Liverpool Pals gives an overview of the events of the day:

“At 3.40 am the whistles blew, and the Battalion left its assembly trenches, in three waves, approximately fifty yards apart, and began to cross No Man’s Land. Almost immediately, the German Barrage fell on the first wave and halted its advance, so that the second wave soon caught up with it. This was not a great problem at first, and the two combined waves were able to advance together for about 300 yards, whereupon they encountered the German Grid Trench system. On the right of the advance, it was found that the wire was largely intact, apart from a few gaps, and the Germans bombed and machine gunned these gaps, which prevented any further progress. Elsewhere along the trench, however, the wire was cut and there did not seem to be any serious opposition. Nevertheless, the men hesitated to jump down into the German trenches, and instead, began to filter back across to the safety of their own lines.

By this time the third wave had caught up, as had a fourth wave, which had been detailed to mop up any opposition once the trenches had fallen, and all four waves became intermingled which added to the confusion. No less than three attempts were made to try to get the men to go forward again, but each attempt became markedly less successful than its predecessor, and eventually the attack came to a standstill. Although the British assembly trenches had received the attention of the German guns, the attackers in No Mans Land had not come under any great intensity of fire up until this point.

However, once it became obvious to the Germans that the attack was disorganised and faltering, they began to fire into the massed men from the flanks. It was probably this that finally settled the issue and convinced the Pals that they could no longer gain the enemy trenches, and all four waves, now merged into one, began to retreat to their own lines. The whole attack had been an abysmal failure, and no ground had been gained at all”.               

He now rests at Warlencourt British Cemetery, France.

Warlencourt Cemetery is entirely a concentration cemetery, begun late in 1919 when graves were brought in from small cemeteries and the battlefields of Warlencourt and Le Sars.  The Graves Registration form shows graves from “Le Sars 6/1, 6/2, Hexham Road, Seven Elms”.

Graves were brought in from the original cemeteries at Hexham Road (Le Sars), and Seven Elms (Flers), as well as over 3,000 British graves due to the fighting which took place around the Butte de Warlencourt from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917, and again in the German advance and retreat of 1918.   The cemetery now contains 3,505 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War, 1,823 of which are unidentified.

Liverpool Daily Post - Wednesday 29 November 1916 

Missing. 

King’s Liverpool Regiment - Broady, 17046, W. T. (Egremont); Cadwell, 29492 J. J. (Southport); Cromwell, 16706, Corpl. T. L.; Fitzroy, 32741, F; Golothan, 32690, Corpl. W. P. (Chester); Griffiths, 32795, J. W.; Hilditch, 17057, A. J.; Leadsom, 39054, S.; Leighton, 16975, H. N. (Seaforth); Narracott, 17080, F. V.; Orrett, 16984, Sergt. J. S. (Prescot); Poole, 33265, F. (Shrewsbury); Powell, 23167, J.; Rench, 16992, T. F.; Ronson, 16054, G. R.; Speed, 26587, R.; Taylor, 23841, A. 

Liverpool Daily Post 19th July 1917 

LEADSOM - Reported missing since October 28, 1916, now reported killed in action, aged 27 years, Private Stanley Leadsom K.L.R. (Deeply regretted by his Mother and Brothers, 1 Gilpin Street, Dingle.) 

He is also commemorated on the St John the Baptist’s C. of E. Church, Toxteth.

Soldiers Effects to mother Jessie, no Pension record found. 

Mother died in 1920 aged 64. 

We currently have no further information on Stanley Leadsom, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.