Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914

WILLIAM LEAK HOLDEN

26 September 1898 - 4 January 1917

At School 1908 - 1915

2nd Lieut 19th Manchester Regiment

William was born in Manchester and in 1901, aged 2, was living at 7 Withington Road, Whalley Range, with father John, a Canadian Agent (Dry Goods) in the Textile trade, mother Annie, older sister Florence and two domestic servants. By 1911 the family had moved to 6 Athol Road, Whalley Range, William was attending School and Florence was a Music student. At School, William proved a superb sportsman, establishing a record in winning all four Athletics Challenge Cups from the China Cup in 1912 to the Gaskell Cup in 1915. These cups were awarded to the Champion Athlete in the year groups from Under 14 to Over 16. William also represented the School on the Lacrosse, Cricket and Football teams, in his final year being vice-captain of Football and Captain of Heywood House.

On leaving School William joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps , being appointed on 15th October 1915. Interestingly his date of birth on his application form was noted as 26th September 1897, making him appear 12 months older than he was, although this may just have been an error. He is described as 5 ft 9 inches tall, weighing 154 lbs with a chest measurement of 37 inches and a good physical development.

William was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant on 26 October 1916 and attached to the Manchester Regiment. He was posted to the 30th Infantry Base Depot (IBD) in Etaples, which acted as a holding camp, receiving men from England and keeping them in training pending their posting to a Battalion at the front. Originally each infantry division had its own IBD supplying reinforcements to all the battalions in it. The heavy casualties of the Somme in July 1916 meant that the IBD's were unable to bring their divisions back up to strength and they had to call on other IBD's for reinforcements. At the beginning of August 1916 a policy was introduced that each IBD would be responsible for supplying drafts for all battalions of particular regiments, usually three or four per IBD. The 30th IBD in part therefore supplied reinforcements for the 30th Division Battalions of the Manchester Regiment, which at that time comprised the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th Pals Battalions. William was posted to the 19th Battalion, Manchester Regiment arriving on 30th December 1916. At this time the Battalion was in Brigade Reserve in the

Bailleulval area about 15km south west of Arras. The war diary reports that on 30th December the Battalion was providing working parties in the front line for the continuation and improvement of the flank defences and outposts in respect of a new scheme of holding the line. January 1st was declared a General Holiday with no working parties or fatigues. On the 2nd, the Battalion relieved the 2nd Yorkshire Bn in the front line in

front of Berles-au-Bois where work was resumed in clearing out and revetting the front line trenches. On 4th January, the war diary reported "Work on revetting and improving the trenches.

Situation quiet. Very little activity shown." Underneath this is written in pencil: "2/Lt W L Holden missing whilst out on patrol." William's parents received a telegram, dated 7th January 1917, to

advise that he was missing. An unfortunate juxtaposition in The Times Casualties column of 12th January 1917 gave the family hope that he was a prisoner of war, but a reply from the War Office

to his father's letter of 22nd January advised that no further information had been received and that "The notification in The Times of the 12th January alluded to by Mr Holden refers to the officer named below that notification and not to 2nd Lieutenant W L Holden."

It is not known what led to William becoming missing on patrol but his body was found by the Germans and buried in the Moyenneville German Cemetery. On 30th April official notification was sent to William's father that he was named on a German report headed "List of Dead" forwarded by the Geneva Red Cross on 12th April, which stated that William's identity disc had been found and forwarded by the Germans through the M.A. Central Office for effects on 15th February. After the Armistice he was exhumed and re-buried in Douchy-les-Ayette British Cemetery, which was enlarged by the concentration of graves from the Arras battlefields and other burial grounds.

It appears that there was some initial confusion regarding his grave in Moyenneville German Cemetery as the original Graves registration report form refers to 1630 Holden J, Company Quarter Master Sergeant of the 2nd battalion, Manchester Regiment. However the 2nd Battalion were at this time further south near Beaumont Hamel and it is unlikely that his death during an advance up to the British front lines here would result in his body being found and buried by the enemy in a cemetery some 20 kilometres away. Holden J is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing. William's disc, photos and letters, were sent to the family in January 1918, on their return to England by the German Government. At home, William was commemorated by a memorial plaque placed in

commemorated by a memorial plaque placed in St Edmunds Church, Alexandra Road South, Whalley Range, inscribed: "To the Glory of God and in memory of William Leak Holden, 2nd Lieutenant, 19th Manchester Regiment, who fell at Ransart, near Arras, on 5 January 1917 while fighting gallantly for his King and Country in the Great European War."

THE HULMEIAN - April 1917

Second Lieutenant W. L. Holden, Manchester Regiment, has been missing since January 4th. He had been a member of the Inns of Court O.T.C. for over a year, and had been only a few days at the front. He left the School at Midsummer, 1915, and is the present holder of the Gaskell Challenge Cup for Athletic Sports.

THE HULMEIAN - December 1917

Second Lieutenant W L HOLDEN, Manchester Regiment, whose death in action, on January 4, is now presumed, was at the School from 1908 to July, 1915. he was very prominent in athletics and all the School games. He gained in successive years all the athletic championships for his age, being the last holder of the Gaskell Cup, which has not been competed for since 1915. On leaving the School in that year he joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. of which he was a member for over a year, and received his commission towards the end of 1916.

Old Hulmeians War Memorial 1914 - 1919