Name
Leslie Herbert Fox
23 September 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Bedfordshire Regiment
4th Bn. attd. 2nd Bn.
'A' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 2 C.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted, All Saints Church Memorial, Berkhamsted, Berkhamsted Collegiate School, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Leslie Herbert Fox was born on 23 September 1896 at Ryde, Isle of Wight, Hampshire, the son of Robert and Edith Fox, and one of six children. He was baptised on 21 November 1896 at Holy Trinity Church, Ryde.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Stickworth, Areton, Isle of Wight where his father was said to be 'living on own means' and they employed six servants.
By 1911 they had moved to Berkhamsted and were living at The Rowans, Berkhamsted, where his father was living on 'Private Means' they had one servant and Leslie was a 14 year old scholar. He was educated at Berkhamsted School, Hertfordshire and left in 1914.
His mother gave her address as 96 Belgrave Road, London SW1 on pension records (although no pension appears to have been paid).
Wartime Service
Leslie initially enlisted into the 19th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers, but later received a commission in May 1915 and served as a Second Lieutenant with the Bedfordshire Regiment, 4th Battalion, later attached to the 2nd Battalion. He joined the Battalion in the field on 23 May 1916 near Maricourt, Somme, France, and was posted to 'A' Company.
He died on 11 July 1916 during the Battle of Trones Wood (Battle of the Somme) when the Battalion attacked and advanced into the wood but were met by heavy enemy machine gun and artillery fire, resulting in many casualties. Leslie was initially listed as wounded and missing but was later presumed dead.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
Additional Information
His father received pay owing of £62 5s.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild
