LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWI
Private Leonard Sydney Skilton
2nd Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Town Memorial P7.R4.C2
Pte
Leonard S Skilton
1st [sic] Royal West
Surrey Regt
Loos
Sept 25 1915
Taken, Not Given Liam
Sumption: page 40
At the time of his death Leonard Skilton
was serving with the second, not the first, battalion of his regiment
(The Queens) as indicated by the memorial inscription.
This is the only case in this current research [wrote Liam in the early 1990s] where a little is known both about the circumstances of the fallen and his appearance. This is attributable to a press cutting left among the papers of the Rev Thomas Fredrick Hobson, the Vicar of St Mary and St Nicholas, the Parish Church of Leatherhead. (1)
Leonard Skilton was a fine looking boy with sad eyes. The regimental records of the Queens indicate that his full Christian names were Leonard Sydney, that he was born in Leatherhead and that he enlisted in Guildford. (2)
The press cutting states that his mother lived in The Crescent, a nice little street of shops and residential dwellings from whence young Victor Wright of the Marines who died aboard HMS FORMIDABLE and Albert Maspero of the Royal Warwicks originated. The small street bore its share of the common grief of the time.
The press article contained in the Leatherhead Advertiser tells the story from what was known at the time what and which was told to his mother. It says:
This is the only case in this current research [wrote Liam in the early 1990s] where a little is known both about the circumstances of the fallen and his appearance. This is attributable to a press cutting left among the papers of the Rev Thomas Fredrick Hobson, the Vicar of St Mary and St Nicholas, the Parish Church of Leatherhead. (1)
Leonard Skilton was a fine looking boy with sad eyes. The regimental records of the Queens indicate that his full Christian names were Leonard Sydney, that he was born in Leatherhead and that he enlisted in Guildford. (2)
The press cutting states that his mother lived in The Crescent, a nice little street of shops and residential dwellings from whence young Victor Wright of the Marines who died aboard HMS FORMIDABLE and Albert Maspero of the Royal Warwicks originated. The small street bore its share of the common grief of the time.
The press article contained in the Leatherhead Advertiser tells the story from what was known at the time what and which was told to his mother. It says:
"On Tuesday Mrs Skilton of The
Crescent, Leatherhead, received notification from the War Office that
her son Private L.S. Skilton of the Queens Royal West Surrey Regiment
was killed in action during the advance in France on September 25.
Pte Skilton had been missing from that
date, and no tidings could be heard from him, the Commanding Officer
of the regiment informing Mrs Skilton that the only information he
could give was that the deceased was missing.
Pte Skilton, who was 21 years of age
joined the West Surreys about three years ago. He went out to France
with the original Expeditionary Force, and was wounded in November of
last year. After being at home for about three weeks he rejoined his
regiment in France, and had been in the firing line right up to the
time he was reported missing."
The train of events as related in the War Diary of 2nd Bn. Queens only became available for public scrutiny in the 1970s, and it describes in stark terms just what an infantry battalion endured in the 1914-18 War. (3)
Other Ranks are seldom mentioned by name in War Diaries of the period, officers on the other hand are usually named, even in connection with routine matters such as postings. As a consequence it is not possible to ascertain the precise circumstances of Leonard Skilton's death, only the fate of his battalion as an entity can be related.
The battalion went into action at Loos on 25 September 1915 with the strength of 29 officers and 987 other ranks. At the end of the day the Colonel was missing, believed dead, and nine other officers have been killed or wounded. Of the other ranks 24 were known to be dead, a further 110 were were wounded, but another 127 (amongst them Leonard Skilton) were 'missing'.
In one day just under a third of the officers and men of the 2nd. Queens had become casualties.
The War Diary relates how on the 25th, at 3 a.m. the battalion was in the reserve trenches in 'Lancaster' Lines, and that the preliminary artillery bombardment commenced at 5.30 a.m.
The Queens, in close support of the 1st. Bn South Staffordshires, 2nd. Bn. Royal Warwickshires and the 1st. Bn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers went 'over the top' and 'C' Company managed to get over the first and second trench lines without too much difficulty, and eventually got into some quarries and captured two enemy officers and 40 men.
However, the other Companies faced opposition but as directed managed to get 150 yards north of St Elie. Unfortunately those in St. Elie were shelled in error by their own guns and had to withdraw to the captured German support line.
In the meantime, the Germans counter-attacked 'C' Company in the quarries. Captain Philpot, the senior surviving officer, subsequently wrote a report which is appended to the War Diary. In the final stages of the German counter-attack, according to Captain Philpot, a dozen 'formed up' to oppose them – a general, the C.O., the adjutant, four company officers, the R.S.M. and four orderlies.
At first the Germans were driven off by 'revolver and rifle fire'. The general and the C.O. were seen to fall and were believed dead, and those who survived, including Captain Philpot, managed to reach the re-established British lines.
Such was the savagery of fighting on the
Western Front.
Notes on sources
1. Press cutting (Leatherhead and District Advertiser 1915) - Leatherhead & District Local History Society archives, Reference LX622. [Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser - Saturday 20 November 1915]
2. Records of Regimental Museum of the Queens, Clandon Park, Surrey.
3. File W095/1664 Ward Diary of 2nd Queens, in Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond.
Further research
Notes on sources
1. Press cutting (Leatherhead and District Advertiser 1915) - Leatherhead & District Local History Society archives, Reference LX622. [Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser - Saturday 20 November 1915]
2. Records of Regimental Museum of the Queens, Clandon Park, Surrey.
3. File W095/1664 Ward Diary of 2nd Queens, in Public Record Office, Kew, Richmond.
Further research
Private
SKILTON, LEONARD SYDNEY
Service Number L/10214
Died 25/09/1915
Aged 21
2nd Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Son of Mrs. Kate Skilton, of 4, The Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey.
Commemorated at LOOS MEMORIAL
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Number of casualties: 20660
Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 13 to 15.
Surrey Mirror - Friday 31 December 1915
ROLL OF HONOUR.
BRAVE SURREY MEN FALLEN IN THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT.
Pte. L. Skilton, Queen's R.W.S. Regiment (killed action in France Sept. 25th). Son of Mrs. Skilton, The Crescent, Leatherhead.
SKILTON, LEONARD SYDNEY
Service Number L/10214
Died 25/09/1915
Aged 21
2nd Bn. The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Son of Mrs. Kate Skilton, of 4, The Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey.
Commemorated at LOOS MEMORIAL
Location: Pas de Calais, France
Number of casualties: 20660
Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 13 to 15.
Surrey Mirror - Friday 31 December 1915
ROLL OF HONOUR.
BRAVE SURREY MEN FALLEN IN THE WAR.
LEATHERHEAD AND DISTRICT.
Pte. L. Skilton, Queen's R.W.S. Regiment (killed action in France Sept. 25th). Son of Mrs. Skilton, The Crescent, Leatherhead.
Several of the Skilton family are
buried in the churchyard at Leatherhead Parish Church.
He is on the Church Lad's Brigade Roll
of Sacrifice 1914-1920 Tryptich at All Saints' Church Leatherhead.
Leonard is listed among serving 'In
the Fleet and at the Front' in the October 1914 and July 1915 Parish
magazines:
Skilton, L. S., 1st Queen’s W. Surrey
Skilton, L. S., 1st Queen’s W. Surrey
He is among those who have died in the
War so far listed in the January 1916 Parish magazine:
The following have laid down their
lives for their Country.
...
Sept. 25, 1915 Leonard Sidney
Skilton, 1st Queen’s W. Surrey, killed in action in Flanders
...
the website editor
would like to add further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
e.g. a photo of him, and of any recollections within his family
page added 21 Mar 2018