Name
Leslie Howard Gant
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/08/1918
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
25901
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
7th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BECOURT MILITARY CEMETERY, BECORDEL-BECOURT
II A 5
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Markyate Village Memorial, St John The Baptist Church Memorial, Markyate
Pre War
Leslie Howard Gant was born in in 1899 in Pimlico,Middlesex to Joseph Howard Gant. a draper’s assistant and Ada Cissie (nee Shingleton).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Leslie and Alexander (born 1901) were living at 73, Selsdon Road, West Ham, London.
On the 1911 Census the family of parents, Leslie, Alexander and Dora (born 1902) were living at 8 Glyena Road Lavender Hill SW, Battersea, London.
Wartime Service
Leslie enlisted in the Rifle Brigade as Rifleman G/18114 on 1 May 1916 at Stratford in London and was posted to D Company, 14 Reserve Battalion on 5 May 1916. he named his next of Kin as his Mother and her address was White Cottage, Markyate, He claimed to be 19 years old (when only 17) but was discharged on 8 Jun 1916 as having giving a false age on enlistment.
Leslie was later enlisted as Private G/25901 Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment) in 10th (Service) Battalion (Battersea), no Service Record was found. At some time Leslie was transferred to 11th (Service) Battalion (Lambeth), both these Battalions were part of 41 Division. It is probable that Leslie saw action in the Battle of Messines (7-14 Jun 1917), 3rd Ypres (Passchendaele) 1917 before the Division move to the Italian Front in Dec 1917 and In March 1918 the Division returned to France taking part in defence of the German Spring Offensive in the Battles of St Quentin (21=23Mar), Bapaume 24=28 Mar) and Arras (28 Mar), The Division moved to the Ypres Sector to take part in the Final Advance in Flanders. Leslie was killed in action on 23 Aug 1918.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £5 and arrears of £8 8s 3d was paid to his mother.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Anne & Gordon Mead
