From A District at War:
Leonard Harvey Nicholls – Killed in action 26th October 1917
Second Lieutenant Leonard Harvey Nicholls served with the 21st (Service) Battalion (6th City), The Manchester Regiment, 91st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division.
Leonard was born on 20th August 1887 in Manchester. He was the son of Thomas William and Elizabeth Lydia Nicholls of 127 Whit Lane, Pendleton. His father was a pharmaceutical chemist. Leonard was educated at Salford Secondary School for Boys and Birmingham University. Before the war he resided with his parents and was employed as a schoolmaster, holding the post of temporary headmaster of St John’s School, Irlam-o’th-heights, Salford.
On 6th November 1915, Leonard enlisted at Manchester into a Public School Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers. His description was recorded as 28 years 3 months, 5 foot 7½ inches tall, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and fair hair. Two days after enlisting he joined the battalion at Epsom. On 10th December he was appointed Lance Corporal (unpaid), appointed Lance Corporal (paid) on 19th February 1916 and appointed Acting Corporal on 18th March. On 5th July he was confirmed to the rank of Corporal and appointed to the rank of Lance Sergeant. On 31st July he married Judith Garner, daughter of Joseph Garner of 595 Liverpool Road, Irlam. Her grandfather was a former headmaster at Irlam Endowed School.
On 31st August he was transferred to ‘C’ Company of the 105th Training Reserve Battalion (which was formerly the 29th Reserve Battalion, Royal Fusiliers). The 105th were stationed at Bruntsfield School in Edinburgh. On 18th September he was appointed Acting Sergeant. He submitted an application for a temporary commission on 16th October. On 1st December, his application having been accepted, he was posted to No. 2 Officer Cadet Battalion at Pembroke College, Cambridge. On 22nd June 1917 he embarked from Folkestone, arriving at Boulogne the same day. The next day he arrived at 30 Infantry Base Depot at Etaples and on 30th June he was posted to the 21st Manchesters in the field.
On 24th October 1917 the battalion moved to La Clytte and then later in the day to ‘Lock 8’ in preparation for an attack on Gheluvelt during the Second Battle of Passchendaele. On the night of 25th/26th October very heavy rain fell, especially during forming up, which made the ground extremely muddy and made movement very difficult. At zero hour, 5.40am, the barrage opened and the 21st Manchesters moved forward to get as close to the barrage as possible. The advance continued with accuracy and precision for some time but later ‘A’ Company on the left came under very heavy enfilading machine-gun fire from ‘Lewis House’ and the company was practically decimated. Around the same time, ‘B’ Company on the right, came under heavy machine-gun fire from ‘Berry Cotts’. Survivors of these two companies dug in as well as they could. It is believed that the survivors of ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies later continued the advance, although they had lost touch with the creeping barrage. The official history of the 21st Manchesters states that ‘nothing is known of their fate and no trace could be found of them, although they were reported to have gone on.’ It has since been established that some men of ‘A’ Company reached their objective but, owing to their inability to use their rifles on account of mud, they were captured.
‘C’ Company moved off at zero hour, passing over Power Trench where elements of ‘D’ Company were found ‘mopping up.’ The advance continued until they came under severe machine-gun fire from ‘Lewis House’ which was so devastating that they were reduced to only four men.
Subsequently all available men from the 21st Manchesters, 2nd Queens, 1st South Staffs, 2nd Gordons and 2nd Borders were organised and established back in the trenches that had been their starting position in the morning. The 21st Manchesters were relieved by the 20th Manchesters at 2.15am the next day.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the following about this attack in his ‘1917 Campaign’: ‘The 7th Division meanwhile had advanced upon Gheluvelt, the 2nd West Surreys, 1st South Staffs and Manchesters of 91 Brigade, advancing to the south of Menin Road in order to guard the flank of their comrades who followed the line of the road which would lead them to this famous village. The flanking Brigade was held up, however, at the old stumbling-block under ‘Lewis House’ and ‘Berry Cotts,’ where the German fire was deadly. This failure enabled the enemy to bring a very heavy cross fire upon the 2nd Borders and 2nd Gordons of 20 Brigade, forming the column of attack. In spite of this fire, the stormers forced their way into Gheluvelt, but found themselves involved in very heavy fighting, while their guns were choked with mud and useless, save as pikes or clubs. Under these circumstances they were forced back to their own line.’
As a result of the attack on Friday, 26th October 1917, the 21st Manchesters lost six officers including Leonard Harvey Nicholls killed in action and 27 other ranks killed, 173 wounded and 93 missing. Leonard was 30 years old. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Belgium and is also listed on the Birmingham University War Memorial, Old Salfordians Memorial (now located at the Peel Building in the University of Salford) and Salford Corporation Memorial (Education Department panel) sited in Salford Town Hall.
The Commanding Officer of the battalion wrote to Leonard’s wife stating her husband had been killed leading his platoon into action. He added ‘Your husband was an exceedingly keen and promising officer, and for some time had been looking after the games of the battalion in his spare time. He is very deeply missed by all.’ Medal Entitlement: Pair.
