Pte 50677 Chris Ledson

Chris Ledson was born in Liverpool in the summer of 1898, the son of Richard James Ledson and his wife Christina (née Dumbreck). Both born in Liverpool, his parents married in 1897 and had two children, twins Eric and Chris.

 

The 1901 census finds the family living at 27 Bishop Road, Anfield. His father is a solicitor’s clerk, Chris and Eric are 2 years old.

The 1911 census shows that the family were living at 8 Eskdale Road, Walton. His father was shown as a Law clerk and both Chris and Eric as schoolboys. 

Chris worked as a junior clerk in the Liverpool branch of the British Law Insurance Co. Ltd. (SDGW states that he was living in Macclesfield) before enlisting.  The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he enlisted in early 1917, when he was 18 years old.  

 

He joined the 17th Bn of the Kings Liverpool Regiment as Private 50677 before transferring to the 6th Bn. He was killed in action on 01st September 1918.

Chris was buried close to where he fell, in a grave with three other soldiers, two from the 2/6th K.L.R. After the war when graves were concentrated, his body was removed and reinterred in H.A.C. British Cemetery, Ecoust-St. Mein, where he now rests.

 

The enemy positions from Doignies to Henin-sur-Cojeul, including the village of Ecoust, were captured on 2 April 1917, by the 4th Australian and 7th Divisions. This cemetery was begun by the 7th Division after the battle, when 27 of the 2nd H.A.C., who fell (with one exception) on the 31st March or the 1st April, were buried in what is now Plot I, Row A. After the German counter-attack near Lagnicourt on the 15th April, twelve Australian gunners were buried in the same row. Rows B, C and part of D were made in August and September 1918, when the ground had been recaptured by the 3rd Division after five months enemy occupation. The 120 graves thus made were the original H.A.C. Cemetery; but after the Armistice graves were added from the battlefields of Bullecourt and Ecoust and from a number of smaller burial grounds. There are now nearly 2,000, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, over half are unidentified and special memorials are erected to 17 soldiers from the United Kingdom and 14 from Australia, known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 34 soldiers from the United Kingdom, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves were destroyed by shell fire. The cemetery covers an area of 5,801 square metres and is enclosed by a low red brick wall.

 

His parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Echo on 11th September 1918:

“September 1, killed in action, aged 20 years, Rifleman Chris Ledson, K.L.R., the dearly beloved son of Richard James and Christina Ledson, 14, St. Winifred Road, Wallasey.”

 

The War Gratuity of £6-10s went to his mother.

From the pension card, in the name of his mother Christina, at 2 Hazeldene Avenue, Wallasey, it is not clear if she was awarded a pension. She later moved to Lincoln and worked as a teacher at Navenby School.  

 

His father died in 1936, aged 63, living in Selby Road, Orrell Park, Liverpool, leaving an estate of nearly £7,500:  £2,000 to his wife Christina, £1,500 shared between his sister and five brothers, and about £4,000 to a friend, Mrs. Maggie Banks Neil, widow.  

 

In 1939 his mother, 66, a retired school teacher, is living in the Argyll Hall Hotel in Torquay.

Christina died 1942 in Bournemouth, aged 69.

 

Eric enlisted in the 18th (Pals) Bn K.L.R. as Private 24796 on 15th January 1915, giving his age as 19 (he was in fact 16).  He was discharged on 26th March (probably for being under age). Eric died at home on 10th January 1916, at the age of 17, cause of death unknown.  

Chris is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Walton Congregational Choir Memorial which used to be located at the URC Church in Orrell Park but its whereabouts are currently unknown.
 

Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 24 Left

Victoria Central Community Hospital, Wallasey 

 

And on the gravestone of his father and brother in Rake Lane Cemetery, Wallasey.

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