OCTAVIUS LESLIE BEARN
26 December 1891 - 23 April 1917
At School 1904 - 1908
Lieut 9th Black Watch
Leslie was born in Manchester and in 1901 was living at 181 Stamford Street, Stretford with father James, a commercial traveller, mother Isabella, elder sister Helen and five older brothers, He was actually the youngest of eight. By 1911 the family had moved to 22 Amherst Road, Withington. Most of the brothers had left home by this time and only Leslie, Helen and Leslie's immediate older brother Frederick, a medical student at Manchester (Victoria) University, remained at home. Leslie was employed as a bank clerk. In 1912 Leslie emigrated to Canada but on the outbreak of war returned to England to join the Forces.
With both parents being Scottish, it was perhaps unsurprising that he wished to join a Scottish regiment and in December 1914 he received a commission in the Black Watch and was posted to the 9th Battalion. The photograph, part of a photograph of the original officers of the 9th Battalion, was taken at Parkhouse Camp, Salisbury Plain in June 1915, shortly before the Battalion left for France on 8th July 1915. Leslie did not go with the Battalion at this time but left for France on
3 October 1915. The 9th Battalion had suffered severely in the fighting in the Loos area in September 1915 and reinforcements were needed from home. In April 1916 the Hulmeian Magazine reported, in its usual understated way, that "he had been severely wounded in the knee but is now quite recovered". In June 1916 he was promoted to Lieutenant.
On 23rd April 1917 the Battalion started at 2.30 a.m. to move into jumping off trenches near Marliere, near Arras. The Battalion was to attack the right front section of Guemappe in support of the 8th Seaforth Highlanders. The War Diary reports: "The attack was held up soon after the start by machine gun fire from both flanks. the 8th Seaforths were unable to get through Guemappe or even into it until about 11.00 a.m. when the machine gun which had been causing the trouble was knocked out by the Stokes, an advance of about 500 yards was made when the machine gun trouble again developed, and the attackers were compelled to evacuate Guemappe. A mixed party of about 70, chiefly Black Watch under Capt. Morrison however remained in their trenches to north of village, and though their flanks were quite open, they managed to maintain themselves there for 4 hours, until ordered to withdraw to straighten the line. The shelling was heavy on these trenches, as our own artillery not knowing the whole line had not withdrawn put a barrage upon them. During the next 4 hours the situation remained much the same save for the shelling which was intense. At 6.00 p.m. a second attack was organised by Capt. Morrison with all the troops he could muster in the immediate vacinity, viz some 70 men of 3 battalions, Black Watch, Seaforths and Camerons. The leader and organiser was killed in the first few yards but the attack succeeded in recovering all ground lost and a little more besides." The 9th Black Watch lost 4 officers killed that day, one of whom was Leslie.
Leslie received this generous tribute from the men under his command: "Mr Bearn was the best friend a man could ever have; and always thought of the comfort of others before his own. He was never afraid to lead his men, and died fighting fiercely."
An officer of his battalion said: "He had been doing very good work....he had been noted for mention for attending to wounded under fire in a position of great danger."
The Scotsman newspaper of 8th May 1917
reported: "Lt. Leslie Bearn (killed) was the youngest son of Mr James Bearn, Withington, Manchester. He came from Canada at the outbreak of war, and had been 20 months at the front. He received his commission in the Black Watch in December 1914, and was promoted to lieutenant in June 1916, and at the time of his death was in command of a company."
Leslie's body was recovered and he is buried in the Cabaret- Rouge British Cemetery,
Souchez. He was originally buried in Blangy Military Cemetery, near Arras, but was exhumed and moved to Cabaret-Rouge Cemetery in 1924, under the Concentration of Burials operation when
many graves were
brought into the cemetery, after the Armistice, from other burial grounds from the
battlefields of Arras; his fellow officers killed that day are all buried in Guemappe British
Cemetery, Wancourt .
Probate was granted on 17 July 1917 to James Bearn, director of a limited company. Effects £225.
THE HULMEIAN - JULY 1917
Lieutenant O LESLIE BEARN, Black Watch, was killed in action on April 23rd. Lieutenant Bearn entered the School in 1904 and left midsummer 1908. He is still remembered by some of us as a bright and cheery boy. A few years after leaving us he went to Canada, whence he returned on the outbreak of war. He received his commission in the Black Watch in December 1914, and was promoted to Lieutenant in June, 1916, and at the time of his death was in charge of a company. A generous tribute has been paid to his memory by men who fought alongside him. To use their own words,: “Mr Bearn was the best friend a man could ever have; he shared everything he had, and always thought of the comfort of others before his own. He was never afraid to lead his men, and died fighting fiercely. “ An officer of his battalion says: “He had been doing very good work . . . . he had been noted for mention for attending to wounded under fire in a position of great danger.”