17797 Private Albert Leggett was a patient at Beechlands in 1916. His entry in Nurse Oliver’s album reads:
Pte A Leggett 17797 1st Batt Northants Regt
Went through the Battle of Loos, Sept 25, in action twice in the big push. Wounded
at Pozieres Aug 20th.
Here’s to the ladies of the Empire’s
broad lands
Who have come forward to help us with such
willing hands,
Who have come forward to help us for the cause
which we fight
And to do their duty and stand by the rights.
He shares this page in her album with Private H Proctor of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.
Thankfully, Albert’s service record survives as a burnt document in the WO 363 series
at the National Archives and so we are bale to see that he attested with the Northamptonshire Regiment at Norwich on 6th April 1915. He gave his address
as 15 Oak Terrace, St Martins, Norwich and his trade as boot
operative. He gave his age as 26 years and three months.
Albert was married (to Ellen Gertrude Rant) and had one child: Gladys Ellen Leggett, born
in Norwich in November 1909.
A second child, Albert Arthur Leggett, would be born in Northampton
in September 1917.
Albert’s training period seems to have been remarkably swift and on 28th July 1915,
he was in France, posted to the 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, a regular
battalion which had arrived in France on 13th August
1914 and formed part of the 2nd Brigade in the 1st Division.
On 20th August 1916 he received a gunshot wound in his back which penetrated his right lung. In his book, The Somme - The Day by Day Account,
author Chris McCarthy has this to say about the 1st Northamptons at Pozieres:
Sunday 20th August
III Corps - 1st Division
The 1st Northamptons (2 Brigade) repelled two enemy counter-attacks between 2am and 4am, but retreated after a third at
8am. Two companies of the Northamptons made two attempts to recapture Switch Line, the
second with two companies of 2nd Royal Sussex; both were unsuccessful. The 2nd KRRC were engaged all day but held their forward line.
Albert’s wound appears to have been severe and he also caught pneumonia. He was in hospital in France until 17th September and
the following day was shipped to England,
presumably as a stretcher case. On arrival, he was transferred to the 2nd Eastern General Hospital
at Brighton. He was certainly still there –
or at Beechlands in Chailey – in December because he applied for, and was granted leave between the 2nd and 11th December. He gave his address whilst on leave 52
St Andrews Road, Northampton.
On 2nd February 1917, Albert was transferred to the 2/5th Scottish Rifles and given a new
number: 203601. He appears to have been based in Scotland and by 30th August that year had commenced agricultural work with Henry
Joyce. The work finished on 6th September and two days later, Albert absented
himself from a tattoo and was subsequently awarded 10 days confined to barracks as a result.
On 15th February 1918 he was transferred to the RAMC, remaining with the regiment until his
dispersal at Purfleet in February 1919. He was recorded there as 137689 Pte Albert
Leggett serving with Number 8 Company, RAMC. He was discharged to the Reserve
on 11th March 1919.
In May 1919 a Military Pensions Board acknowledged that Albert had a disablement degree of
20 per cent and awarded him a weekly pension of five shillings and sixpence, to be reviewed twelve months later. On 10th March 1922 he received his British War and Victory medals.
