Category Archives: Western Front

David William Leaver, Herbert Charles Hyde, Leonard Lever Hyde

Army, Berkshire Yeomanry, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Reading Blue Coat School, Reading University College, Somme, St. Batholomew's Church

David William Leaver
Trooper 70781
“B” Squadron 1st/1st Berkshire Yeomanry

Division 57

Leaver DW photo  CIMG2131

 David William Leaver is commemorated on a large headstone along with Leonard Leaver Hyde and Herbert Charles Hyde.  The family headstone has details inscribed on both sides of the stone and the three boys were obviously related.

David Leaver was the only son of Alice and Alfred Leaver of 52, Cumberland Road, Reading.  He was 22 when he died on 25th November 1917, of wounds received in Palestine. He is commemorated on the St. Bartholomew’s Church memorial.

At the announcement of his death his parents wrote:
“A bright spring time, a few days of summer and then the end.
Grief is for those left behind, not for them.”

He is buried in Ramleh Convent Garden Cemetery, Palestine.  William Victor Ross Sutton, son of Readings Mayor at the time, was killed in action  twelve days before him and is buried in the same cemetery.

The ‘In Memoriam‘ of 1918, Standard 23rd November, quotes the lines of the famous remembrance poem –
“He shall not grow old as we who are left grow old,
Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember him.”
Mother and Dad

In loving remembrance of “Our Dave”, a very dear brother and friend,
He passed beyond our touch, beyond our care,
But never beyond our love and prayer,
Mabel and Maggie

And in 1919 a friend remembered:
In loving memory of my dear pal (Dave), died of wounds at Ramleh, Palestine.
Two years have passed, I do not forget him,
For his memory to fade from my life like a dream;
But lips need not speak when the heart mourns sincerely,
For grief often dwell where it seldom is seen.
Bert.

Herbert Charles Hyde
Rifleman 535423
1/15th London Regiment,
Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles.

Hyde HC photo

Rifleman Herbert Hyde was killed in action in France Sept. 1st 1918 aged 23. He was the eldest son of Henry Herbert and Ellen Florence. Hyde, of 62 Orts Rd.  An ‘In Memoriam’ states he was-

One who never turned his back,
But marched breast forward;
Never doubted clouds would break;
Never dreamed, though right were worsted,
Wrong would triumph.

Herbert Hyde is buried in Rancourt Military Cemetery , Somme.  Grave location A. 3.  Rancourt was in an area of severe fighting during the allied offensives in the late summer of 1918.   The village was taken by the British the day Herbert Hyde was killed.

 Leonard Leaver Hyde
Lance Corporal 534506
1/15th London Regiment,
Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles. 

Hyde LL photo

Leonard Leaver Hyde was on board HMS “Aragon“ going to join the BEF in Palestine when the ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on December 30th 1917. Leonard was aged 19. He was the brother of Herbert Charles Hyde and second son of Henry & Ellen Hyde.

He had  joined the army on Jan 29th 1917.  He was educated at St. Stephen’s and Reading Blue Coat School, and was a clerk at the GWR Goods office Paddington.

Herbert and Leonard are both commemorated on the Reading University College memorial.

Alfred Leadbetter

Army, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Somme

Alfred Leadbetter
Sergeant 7023
1st Hampshire Regt.

Division 82
Extension

Leadbetter A photo Leadbetter A Rcem com

Alfred Leadbetter  was the son of John and Sarah Leadbetter, of Stratfield Turgis, Basingstoke.  He was the husband of Annie Maria Chambers (formerly Leadbetter) of 37, Amity Road, Reading.   He is commemorated on his son’s grave, number not yet known *.

Alfred Leadbetter was killed in action on the 1st July 1916.  This was the first day of the Somme Battle. Martin Middlebrook in “The First Day on the Somme” states ‘Every battalion was supposed to enter a daily account of its activities in its War Diary, this becoming the official record.  The 1st Hampshires suffered so severely that no one could be found at the end of the day to describe, reliably, what had happened.  Its War Diary entry for 1 July reads:

Our casualties in officers amounted to 100% and was also heavy in other ranks. (Public Record Office WO95/1495)’

That was all that could be found to describe the battle in which the Hampshires lost twenty-six officers and 559 men.  The destruction of the battalion was so complete nothing was known of what really happened to it.  Among the total was Alfred Leadbetter who has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing Pier and Face 7B and 7C.

Frederick John Knott

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments

Frederick John Thomas Knott
Private 31609
63rd Company Machine Gun Corps.

Division 9

KNOTT F MGC  CIMG2155CIMG2156

 

Frederick Knott is commemorated on a his family’s grave number 9931.  He was the son of Frederick and Harriet Knott who lived at 4, Fulham Road, Reading.  The 1911 census indicates that he was the eldest of seven children, he had a younger brother and five sisters. Frederick Knott was killed on 23rd April 1917, aged 19.  

 Frederick Knott has no known grave and is commemorated on the Arras Memorial Panel 10.  The Arras Memorial bears the names of 35,000 casualties who died between Spring 1916 and 7th August 1918 and who have no known graves.

 The exact circumstances of his death are unknown but the Battle of Arras began on 9th April 1917 and the 23rd April 1917 was the start of the second phase, with the British attacking north and south of the River Scarpe.  The early stages involved the capture of Vimy Ridge and the village vantage point of Monchy-le-Preux.   The second stage continued the steady pressure towards the east and Cambrai with heavy fighting around Gavrelle and Oppy Wood.