Name
Eric Gerard Leggatt
19 Mar 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
4th Bn. attd. 10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 15 A and 16 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial,
Church of St Nicholas Memorial, Harpenden,
College WW1 & WW2 Cross, Dulwich, London.
Pre War
Eric Gerald was born in Nottingham on 19 Mar 1891 to Dr. Gerald Stedman Leggatt, surgeon and apothecary, and Alice (nee Tomson). The family were living at Portland Terrace, St Ann’s Hill, Nottingham. On the 1901 Census Eric was at private school in Harpenden while the family were living at Selhurst Road, Croydon. Eric went to Dulwich College leaving in 1908 becoming manager of Kuala Kabu rubber estate in Malaya. His father and family moved to Tennyson Road, Harpenden by the 1911 Census and later lived at Vaughn Road.
Wartime Service
In 1915 he returned to England to join the forces and was commissioned Nov 1915 as 2nd Lieutenant in 4th (Extra Reserve) Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s). He was sent to France with 10th (Service) Battalion in July 1915 and while on leave on 1 April 1916 he married Isola Bella Martelli in London; four days later, on their honeymoon, he was recalled. She never saw him again. Taking part in the Battle of Pozieres near Longueval on the Somme he was one of the missing of 15 July 1916. (His death was assumed due to later reports of him being killed that day by soldiers of his unit). His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, Somme.
Additional Information
Probate of £78 11s and arrears of £35 5s. paid to his widow. Service Rcord is held at the National Archives. Reference: WO 339/43778
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
