The Streatham Society
  • Home
  • Blogs & Posts
  • Events
  • Newsletters
  • Publications
  • Donations
  • Membership
  • Events
  • Guided Walks
  • Virtual Self Guided Walks
  • Photo Gallery
  • Research and Queries
  • Planning and Regeneration
  • Heritage and Conservation
  • WW1 Roll Of Honour
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Instagram posts
  • Archive News
  • Members' Page

James Leach VC

29/10/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
James Leach VC resident of 102 Norfolk House Road

On This Day 29th October 1914 near Festubert, France, after their trench had been taken by the enemy and two attempts to recapture it had failed, Second Lieutenant James Leach and Sergeant John Hogan with a party of 10 volunteers went to recover it themselves. They took the Germans by surprise with a sudden bayonet attack and then working from traverse to traverse they gradually succeeded in regaining possession, killing eight of the enemy, wounding two and taking 16 prisoners.

Leach was concussed in action on 17th November 1914 and was evacuated to England on 25th November for treatment at Lady Evelyn Mason’s Hospital for Officers in London until 11th November. Two Medical Boards found him unfit for service and he was sent on leave. Whilst on leave, he was gazetted for the VC on 22nd December 1914. He was then declared fit for home service and posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion at Cleethorpes on 1st January 1915. He was then presented with his VC by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 13th January 1915.

After the war he worked for the Bank of England but lost his job in the Great Depression. He later began training to be a lawyer but had to give it up due to a messy divorce from his second wife which cost him a lot of money. He would marry for a third time in 1945. He died at No 4 The Lodge, Richmond Way, Shepherd’s Bush on 15th August 1958 and was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium, where his ashes were scattered in Plot 8.


(Source VictoriaCrossOnline)
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Mark Bery, Secretary Streatham Society

    Archives

    May 2025
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

Next Meeting





Our next event is a  a talk on the 3rd June 2025 by Sam Cullen, The Lost Pubs of South London.

​This follows our AGM at 6:30pm










​

Social media & email

Picture