Pte 16590 Edmund Leatherbarrow

• Age: 31
• From: Manchester
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16590 Private Edmund LEATHERBARROW, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Edmund Leatherbarrow was born on 18th August 1884 at Alexandra Park, Manchester. He was the eldest of eight children born to John Clough Leatherbarrow, and his wife Fanny (nee Whitteron) who were married on the 02nd November 1882 at St Matthew's Church, Lightcliffe, York. John was a 26 year old salesman of Prestwich, father James, whilst Fanny was aged 21 of Lightcliffe, father Edmund.  

Edmund enlisted on 02^nd September 1914, at St George's Hall in Liverpool giving his surname as Leather, his age as 30 years 115 days, and his occupation as a clerk and his home address as 29 Byrom Street. He stated he served an apprentiship as a warehouseman from the aged of 16. He was described as being 5' 8" tall, weight 173lbs, 41” chest with a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. His religion is stated as Church of England. His next of kin is initially shown as his father but this is subsequently amended following his father’s death, to his mother, of ‘Ryecroft’, Lidgett Lane, Roundhay, Leeds.

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 
Edmund crossed to France on 07th November 1915 with his Battalion aboard the SS Invicta.

He was killed in action on 01^st July 1916, whilst serving with the 2nd Coy (father’s letter in service papers) aged 31, during the attack at Montauban.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter wrote in the conclusion of his account of the day’s action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.   

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257. 

His CWGC record shows his ALIAS as Leather and has his age as 32.

Liverpool Football Echo July 1916 

Private Edmund Leather. 

Before the war he was employed by Messrs. Cook and Townsend, Linen Drapers, Byrom Street and was a popular member of the staff. He was a keen cricketer and footballer and was an energetic member of the Liverpool Merchants’ Billiards League. 

His death was reported in the Skyrack Courier on 28th July 1916: 

ROUNDHAY  

FAMILY's DOUBLE LOSS.—Private Edmund Leatherbarrow of the Liverpool Pals was killed in action on July 1st. He was the eldest son of Mr and J. Leatherbarrow of Ryecroft, Lidgett Lane, Roundhay, and was in business in Liverpool. His youngest brother, Corporal W. Leatherbarrow, Yorkshire Regt., killed in action in the Dardanelles last August. 

Also in the Skyrack Courier on 04th August 1916 

ROUNDHAY 

AN EXCELLENT SOLDIER.

Mr F. Leatherbarrow, of Ryecroft, Lidgett Lane, Roundhay, whose son was killed whilst serving with the Liverpool Pals, has received a letter from Major Cornish Bowden, in the course of which he says Private Leatherbarrow reached the first and second German lines and was apparently attracted to a point on the regiment's flank, where the advance was being held. "He fell a few yards from a concealed trench," the letter adds, "with, I am sorry to say, a large number of officers and men. He was an excellent soldier, and had done some good work out here. I regret to say l am the only survivor, and I have only a handful of the old company left. The Liverpool Pals have been praised by the army commander." 

Soldiers Effects to father John, no Pension record found. 

Edmund's younger brother, William, had enlisted as Private 10260 in the 9th Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own) and on 02^nd July 1915 landed in the Dardanelles where he was killed in action on 27^th August 1915 as a Lance Corporal. Interestingly, CWGC says that William also enlisted using the surname Leather. William’s name is on the Helles Memorial.

His death was reported in the Skyrack Courier on 10th September 1915: 

ROUNDHAY MAN DIES FROM WOUNDS.

Lance-Corporal Wm. Leatherbarrow, of the 9th West Yorkshire Regiment, a well-known member of the Roundhay Hockey Club Committee, has died from wounds received in the fighting at the Dardanelles. The deceased soldier, who resided with his parents in Ryecroft, Lidgett Lane, Roundhay, was the youngest of eight sons. He joined the Colours in the first week of the war, and went to the Dardanelles two months ago. He was wounded in the head on August 21st  and died on board a hospital ship. Beside being a keen hockey player, young Leatherbarrow, who was only 19 years of age, was well-known on the cricket and tennis courts in Nortis-East Leeds.   

On Edmund’s service file is a letter sent to Infantry Records at Preston by Edmund’s father, dated 21^st July 1916, in which he says he is “obliged for the notification of his poor son’s death” and explains his son’s name” was Leatherbarrow but he had enlisted as Leather for short”. He adds that “when his brother was killed at the Dardanelles I didn’t even get a button off his tunic”. Unfortunately there is nothing on Edmund’s file to suggest he fared any better concerning Edmund’s effects.  Neither of them has an identified grave. 

His identity disc was also returned on 3/11/20. 

Edmund left effects of £20 but Probate was not granted until 1934. 

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