Name
Leigh Pemberton
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/09/1915
18
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
King's Royal Rifle Corps
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 51 and 53.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance, Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
Son of Algernon Charles and the late Alice (nee KIDWELL) PEMBERTON of Rickmansworth.
His parents married 2 June 1885 at St Margaret next Rochester, Kent. Alice died 24 January 1903 in Rickmansworth aged 41, and was buried 28 January at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth. Algernon remarried 10 August 1904 at St Mary’s, Rickmansworth, to Ada Eliza TIMMS. Algernon died 31 May 1938 in Rickmansworth aged 76; Ada died 25 June 1958 in Salisbury, Wilts, aged 79.
Leigh was born 12 or 15 April 1897 in Rickmansworth, and baptised 12 November 1897 at All Saints, Croxley Green, Herts. He attended Watford Grammar School from September 1907 to July 1914.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1901 Census, aged 2 he lived in Rickmansworth, with his parents and two siblings.
In the 1911 census the family are recorded living at Derwent House, Stockers, Rickmansworth. Father Algernon Charles Pemberton is aged 49, the manager of Emery Mill, born in Birmingham, mother Ada Elizabeth Pemberton is aged 33 and was born in Leytonshire, Leigh Pemberton is aged 12, at school and was born in Rickmansworth, Alleyne Algernon Pemberton is aged 5 and was born in Rickmansworth. Ethel May Langley aged 30 is a general servant and was born in Norfolk.
Educated at Watford Grammar School.
Wartime Service
Formerly 12th Kings Royal Rifle Corps Lance Corporal reg. no. R/543. Commissioned 2nd February 1915.
Killed in action in very heavy shell-fire in the Railway Wood Left Sector in a hard fight in an attack on Bellewaarde spur on 25th September 1915 during the second attack on Bellewaarde. The 9th KRRC had gone to the support of the 9th Rifle Brigade who had obtained a footing in the German second line trenches.
All the officers had become casualties very early on that day as Railway Wood was heavily shelled throughout the day.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, no qualifying date given; they were sent to his father of Rickmansworth, Herts. He was killed in action at Loos.
Additional Information
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads:
“PEMBERTON, LEIGH. School period: September, 1907, to July,1914. Second Lieutenant, 9th King's Royal Rifles. One year, one month. Killed in action at Loos, 26th September, 1915.”
Unfortunately, Leigh’s Service Record appears to be one that has not survived. There are articles about Leigh in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 21 November 1914 and 9 October 1915, as well as a Grammar School In Memoriam in the issue dated 25 December 1915; also an article in the Watford Illustrated dated 16 October 1915.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk) Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Robert and Sally Williams
