In Memory of

JAMES LEITH

Private
85861
24th Bn., Machine Gun Corps (Inf)
who died on
Thursday, 21st March 1918. Age 20.

Additional Information:

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James Leith

 

 

Son of the late John and Mrs. Jane Leith, of Piperwell, Duncanston, brother of John Leith

John Leith, Farmer in Courtieston, Leslie d 28/8/1904 age 43. Wife Jane Mair d Newbigging, Inverurie 3/2/1953 age 88. Interred Leslie Kirkyard, sons recorded on headstone.

Born and residing at Leslie, enlisted at Aberdeen, killed in action, formerly 15919 Gordon Highlanders. He is also listed on Leslie War Memorial.

On the day James Leith was killed, his company in 24th Division, were in the line near St Quentin defending against the initial assault of the German Spring Offensive of 21st March - 5th April 1918. The British Front was driven back several miles over the former battlefields of the Somme.

On the same day Lt Allan Ebenezer Ker, 3rd Battalion Gordon Highlanders, attached 61st Battalion MGC (Infantry) was awarded The Victoria Cross for his actions at St Quentin.

War & Victory Medals, MIC

Service Notes, Machine Gun Corps.
17th MG Company Formed in 24th Division, 17 January 1916, at Poperinge, Flanders. Moved into No 24 Bn, MGC on its creation on 5th March 1918.

 

Commemorative Information

Memorial: POZIERES MEMORIAL, Somme, France
Grave Reference/
Panel Number:		 Panel 90 to 93

Location:

Pozieres Memorial

 

 Pozieres is a village some 6 kilometres north-east of the town of Albert. The Memorial encloses Pozieres British Cemetery which is a little south-west of the village on the north side of the main road, D929, from Albert to Pozieres. On the road frontage is an open arcade terminated by small buildings and broken in the middle by the entrance and gates. Along the sides and the back, stone tablets are fixed in the stone rubble walls bearing the names of the dead grouped under their Regiments. It should be added that, although the memorial stands in a cemetery of largely Australian graves, it does not bear any Australian names. The Australian soldiers who fell in France and whose graves are not known are commemorated on the National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux.
Historical Information: The Memorial relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and to the succeeding period of four months during which there was built up, behind the new front, of the army, which on the 8 August 1918 began the Advance to Victory. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who fell in France during the Fifth Army area retreat on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918. The Corps and Regiments most largely represented are The Rifle Brigade with over 600 names, The Durham Light Infantry with approximately 600 names, the Machine Gun Corps with over 500, The Manchester Regiment with approximately 500 and The Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery with over 400 names.