cpl ben leech enlisted on 2nd november 1915,he was 25yrs old and worked as a barman at the marsland hotel,dorset st,ardwick,he was posted to the 18th manchesters as a replacement in 1916,he was slightly wounded by shrapnel,on 14th february 1917,he was reported missing on 21st march 1918 during the german march offensive but a letter from him to his family in may 1918 stated that he was alive and well,he was transferred to the 24th manchesters,on 18th november 1918,then on 21st january 1920 he returned to england for demobilisation
after the war,ben returned to france and began work with the imperial war graves commission,working in the thiepval,serre and beaumont hamel areas,during WW2 ben was part of a group who helped to smuggle allied airmen who had been shot down,back to england,many of those in his charge,were hidden in the gardeners sheds and other buildings at serre road No2 cemetery.
many menfolk from bens family have continued serving with the CWGC since
cpl 27354 benjamin,morris leech
60 railway st,gorton
father,robert
source.
my own research
michael stedmans book "the manchester pals"
