20594 Cpl Hugh Leslie, 2nd Bn Wiltshire Regiment.
From Porton near Salisbury, Hugh was born in 1892 and enlisted into the army (Royal Field Artillery) circa 1911 (regimental number 58118), and he waspromoted to corporal prior to the outbreak of war. He arrived in France on 19 August 1914 with 15 Bde RFA (5th Division) as part of 80 Battery and took part in the Battle of Mons, the subsequent retreat, the Marne, the Aisne and First Ypres before being wounded in Flanders during the Second Battle of Ypres. Upon recovery in the UK, Hugh was transferred to the 3rd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment on 18 July 1915 with which he became part of the Portland Garrison before returning to France as a reinforcement to the 2nd Battalion Wiltshire Regiment just after their involvement in the Battle of Loos.
Hugh's brigade was transferred to bolster the newly arrived 30th Division in December 1915 and, as a result, he found himself on the Somme front during the winter of 1915/16 where, near Carnoy, he was mortally wounded and died on 17 January 1916. Hugh is buried in Carnoy Military cemetery.
17 January 1916
Research by David O'Mara, Croonaert Research Services.
