William Leach
Died of Wounds 19th August 1918
William's Story
William was the son of Agnes and William Leech and born on 22nd January 1883 at Twemlow. When he was 8 the family had moved to Med Vale Farm in Ashton under Lyne. Ten years later in 1901 he was at a farm in Cranage and 18 year old William was a labourer on the farm which was being run by his mother, now a widow. He was still there in 1911 when it was identified as Goostrey Lane Farm near Holmes Chapel.
Although spelt ‘Leach’ on the war memorial in Holmes Chapel he was christened ‘Leech’.
He was called up in 1916 and he joined the Cheshire Regiment, 9th Battalion, Number 50218 and fought in France and Flanders.
He was wounded in the head on 10th August 1918 and appeared, after an operation, to be recovering but succumbed to his wounds in a Base Clearing Station a few days later.
He died of wounds on 19th August 1918.
Eric Measham
Killed in Action 19th July 1916
Eric's Story
Eric was born at Marple in 1895 to George (he was born about 1848, Bagworth, Leics, and a coachman) and mother Ellen (born about 1855 in Sudworth, Derbyshire).
In 1901 he was living at Hollins Lane, Marple, aged 6 and in the year of 1911 he was at 32 Trafalgar Road, Birkdale, aged 16 and a gardener.
His link with Holmes Chapel is that in 1915 he was living at Cranage Club with his parents. It is almost certain that he was working on the Cranage Hall estate as the Carver family had links to Hollins Lane, Marple where he was in 1901.
On the 13 March 1915, aged 19 years 6 months, he enlisted into the 16th Battalion Manchester Regiment as a private with number 7624.
On the 8th November 1915 he was posted to France and on 1 July 1916 promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal.
On 11th July 1916 he was reported missing and he was assumed dead on 19 July 1916. He was aged 21.
There is no known grave, but he is recorded on Pier and Face 13A and 14C of the Thiepval Memorial.
Awarded 1914 -15 Star 5 September 1921. British War Medal and Victory Medal 7 May 1922.
Cranage Club, Eric Measham's House in 1915
'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.'
Extract from 'For the Fallen' by Laurence Binyon
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