Main CPGW Record
Surname: LEATT
Forename(s): Tom
Place of Birth: Skipton, Yorkshire
Service No: 17932
Rank: L/Corporal
Regiment / Corps / Service: Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
Battalion / Unit: 8th (Service) Battalion
Division: 1st Division
Age: 23
Date of Death: 1916-05-01
Awards: ---
CWGC Grave / Memorial Reference: Plot 2. Row L. Grave 8.
CWGC Cemetery: LE TREPORT MILITARY CEMETERY
CWGC Memorial: ---
Non-CWGC Burial: ---
Local War Memorial: SKIPTON, YORKSHIRE
Additional Information:
Tom Leatt was the son of George Gore and Sarah Ellen Leatt, née Fagan and the brother of Private James Leatt (12/2011) (q.v.) and Private George Leatt (7573) (q.v.). Their father was born at Clyst St George, Devon and mother at Skipton, Yorkshire. Tom, James and George were cousins of Private Charles Stell (8179) (q.v.).
1901 Skipton, Yorkshire Census: 21, Midland Street - Tom Leatt, aged 8 years, born Skipton, son of George G. and Sarah E. Leatt.
1911 Skipton, Yorkshire Census: 43, Pendle Street, Broughton Road - Thomas Leatt, aged 18 years, born Skipton, son of George Gore and Sarah Ellen Leatt.
British Army WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards: L/Cpl Tom Leatt, 17932, R. Berks R. Theatre of War first served in: 1 - France. Date of entry therein: 26.10.15. D. of W.
British Army WW1 Medal and Award Rolls: L/Cpl Tom Leatt, 17932, 8 R. Berks R. Died of Wounds 1.5.16.
Army Registers of Soldiers' Effects: L/Cpl Tom Leatt, 17932, 8th Batt Royal Berks. Reg. Date and Place of Death: 1.5.16. France. To whom Authorised/Amount Authorised: Mother and Sole Legatee - Sarah Ellen. £9 6s. 6d.
UK, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923: card(s) exist for Tom. Name(s) on card(s): Dependant: Mrs Sarah Ellen Leatt. Relationship: Mother. Address: 43, Pendle Street, Broughton Road, Skipton.
Tom is commemorated on the Burnley Borough Police Force War Memorial.
Data Source: Craven’s Part in the Great War - original CPGW book entry
View Entry in CPGW BookEntry in West Yorkshire Pioneer Illustrated War Record:
LEATT, Thos., Berkshire Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Leatt, Pendle Street, Skipton, died of wounds, France, April 1916.
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L/Corporal Tom LEATT
Regiment / Corps / Service Badge: Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment)
Divisional Sign / Service Insignia: 1st Division
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‘Burnley News’ (6 May 1916)
Tom Leatt (when serving with Burnley Borough Police Force)
Kindly supplied by the website: Burnley in the Great War
View Craven Herald Articles
View Craven Herald Articles
05 May 1916
LEATT – April, 1916, killed in action in France, Private Thomas Leatt, Royal Berkshire Regiment, formerly of Skipton, and latterly of Burnley Police Force.
05 May 1916
SKIPTONIAN KILLED WITH THE BERKSHIRES – PRIVATE THOMAS LEATT
On Monday evening news came to hand that another Skipton soldier had made the supreme sacrifice – Pte. Thomas Leatt, of the Berkshire Regiment, and son of Mr. and Mrs. George Leatt, Pendle Street, Skipton. The first intimation came in the shape of a telegram from the Regimental Headquarters intimating that Pte. Leatt was in hospital suffering from a gunshot wound in the chest, and stating that the relatives could make arrangements to cross the Channel and see him if they so desired. About half an hour later another telegram was received announcing that Pte. Leatt had succumbed to his wound.
The unfortunate young fellow was formerly a mill operative employed by Messrs. Dixon at Skipton, but for the past two years he had been a member of the Burnley Borough Police. He enlisted in the Berkshire Regiment shortly after the outbreak of war, and had been in France some months. Hitherto he had been fortunate, and it was a singular coincidence that the morning following the receipt of news of his death the parents received a field postcard from him. This had apparently been written on April 26th and in it Pte. Leatt said he was quite well.
Deceased was one of four brothers serving with the Colours – one with the South African Contingent; one with the Anzacs, and another as a stoker on H.M.S. Exmouth. A fifth son is working on munitions. Much sympathy is felt for the bereaved parents. Pte. Leatt was a playing member of the Niffany Rovers Football Club, an organisation which has perhaps suffered more severely in this war than any junior club in the district. It is also a singular fact that the Broughton Road district has been very badly ‘hit’ since the war commenced, Pte. Leatt bringing the total on the roll of honour to eleven.
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
View West Yorkshire Pioneer Articles
05 May 1916
ANOTHER SKIPTON MAN KILLED
News has been received that Lance Corporal Thomas Leat, of the Berkshire Regiment, son of Mr. and Mrs. Leat, Pendle Street, Skipton, has died from wounds received in action. The information came to hand on Monday evening, when the parents received a telegram from the Military Authorities intimating that their son was in a hospital in France suffering from a gunshot wound in the chest, and stating that they could see him if they wished to make the journey. About half an hour afterwards a second telegram was received informing them that their son had succumbed to his wounds.
The deceased soldier was formerly employed as a mill operative by Messrs. Dixon of Skipton, but more recently he had been a member of the Burnley Borough Police Force, from which he enlisted in the Berkshire Regiment shortly after the war commenced. He had been in France some months, and it is a sad coincidence that the morning after the sad news was received the parents got a field postcard from deceased which apparently had been written on April 26th and which stated that he was then quite well.
Private Leat was one of four brothers serving with the Colours – One is in the South African Contingent; another is with the Anzacs, and a third is engaged as a stoker on His Majesty’s ship Exmouth. Deceased was at one time a playing member of the Niffany Rovers Football Club, and it must be mentioned that the club has probably lost more men in the war than any other similar club in the district.
It is rather singular that so many men belonging to the Broughton Road district should have lost their lives in the war, whilst some of the other neighbourhoods have not yet suffered a single death. Private Leat is about the tenth young man from the district named to make the supreme sacrifice.
01 June 1917
LEATT – May 29th, at 43, Pendle Street, Skipton, George Leatt, aged 68.
[Father of Pte. George Leatt, Pte. James Leatt and L/Cpl. Tom Leatt.]
19 October 1917
SKIPTON CASUALTIES
THREE BROTHERS NOW KILLED
Information has been received that Pte. James Leatt of the New Zealand Forces, son of Mrs. Leatt, of Pendle Street, Skipton, was killed in action on October 4th. In a letter to the deceased soldier’s mother, Captain Gordon Coates, of the Auckland Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, states:– “It is with great regret that I write to console with you in the loss of your brave son. He was killed during our advance on the 4th inst., and it was a great pity that he was not spared to enjoy the fruits of the success to which he so ably contributed. It is a time of self-sacrifice, and right nobly your son respond to the call. He died as you could wish him to die, like a soldier and a man, and you have reason to be proud of him. I just wish to extend to you the sympathy of your son’s comrades in the company in your time of sorrow. Mrs. Leatt has also received a letter which is signed by Pte. E.W. Johnstone and Pte. H. Waldron, and which states:– “Jim was a pal of mine. We went into the trenches on the night of October the 2nd, and went over the top at 6 o’clock on the Monday morning of the 4th. This was where your son died for his county, and I must say that he suffered no pain. Shortly after we reached our objective, and I came back to find him but evidently another enemy shell must have struck him. Jim was well-known throughout the battalion as a good soldier, and his gap will be felt by all. It is very hard for us to have to sit down to write of our men who have gone before.” Originally Mrs. Leatt had three sons in the army, one in the navy, and one on munitions. The three who were in the army are now dead. Pte. George Leatt, the eldest son and a married man, died in German East Africa, and Pte. Tom Leatt died from wounds received in action. The son serving in the navy is Pte. Harry Leatt. Pte. James Leatt, who was 33 years of age, went out to Canada and afterwards to New Zealand to join another brother. He joined up just before Christmas, 1914, and went to the Dardanelles the June following, then to Egypt, and afterwards to France. He was wounded on the Somme. As a boy he was apprenticed to Mr. Swire, newsagent, Swadford Street, Skipton.
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