Private Lewis Leach remembered

Private Lewis Leach

Private Lewis Leach was one of only two Littleborough soldiers to die during the First World War in October 1915.

Private Leach was born in Littleborough in 1886 and by 1891 the family, including his father Stephen and mother Alice, lived at 4 Fletchers Passage. Alice died in 1900 and at the time of the 1901 census, his widower father remained in the house with four of his children.

By 1911 the family lived at 12 Turf Terrace with Lewis being a Weaver at Shore Mills. He enlisted in Rochdale in November 1914.

29-year-old Private Lewis Leach 9448, 9th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers who first went to the Dardanelles in June 1915, died on Friday 1 October 1915 from wounds he had received in fighting on 7 August 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign. He was invalided home to a military hospital in Oxford, where he died of septic poisoning and dysentery. His body was brought home to Littleborough on Saturday 2 October and he was buried in St James’s Churchyard on Tuesday 5 October with full military honours.

The first part of the service took place in St Barnabas Church where the vicar, Rev M E Pett, and the vicar of Littleborough, Rev A F Gaskell, conducted the service. The coffin was draped with the union flag and carried to St James’s Calderbrook on an open hearse. A firing party from Bury Barracks, lead by Sergeant Whitehead and with rifles reversed lead the procession, followed by forty members of the Littleborough Volunteer Force. The choir of St Barnabas dressed in their surplices were in front of the coffin.

After a service at the graveside, the firing party fired three volleys and a bugler sounded the Last Post. Amongst the floral tributes was one from 'The Weavers at Shore New Mill' and another from 'The Members of Shore Institute'. On Sunday 15 October 1915 there was a memorial service held in Private Leach’s honour at St Barnabas Church.

Private Leach’s name is on Littleborough Cenotaph, Littleborough Central School Memorial (now in the History Centre), Holy Trinity and Shore Mills War Memorial and St Barnabas War Memorials. His name with the sentiment 'He Gave His Life for King and Country' is on the headstone of the Leach family grave in St James Churchyard. His brother Clarence William also died in the war.