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| The Leggett brothers - William (left) Ernest (right) |
Recent
publicity concerning the future of Sanford Street School has highlighted the
importance of a roll of honour on display there to former pupils who died in
the First World War. Among the list of more than 130 names are those of seven
sets of brothers killed in the 1914-18 war.
An
entry in the school logbook dated March 20, 1936 records – “Received today the
memorial to Old Sanfordians who fell in the Great War. It is a very beautifully made memorial, paid
for by money in the School’s private fund.’
Two
brothers listed among the dead are Horace and Reginald Corser, the sons of
William and Elizabeth Corser of 1 Broad Street.
Reginald, an engine room artificer on HMS Defence was killed on May 31,
1916 during the Battle of Jutland. He
was 25 years old and had been married for less than a year. Brother Horace was serving with the 79th Field Company Royal Engineers when he was killed on January 11, 1918 aged 25.
Arthur
and William Barnes were two brothers both aged just 18 years old when they were
killed. Arthur, an Ordinary Signalman
died on board the HMS Queen Mary on May 31, 1916 during the same Battle of
Jutland. His brother William was serving
with the 2nd Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment when he was killed
in action during the Battle of Arras eleven months later. The boy’s parents Harry, a warehouseman at
the GWR Works, and Charlotte lived at 18 Medgbury Road.
In
his book Tell Them of Us, Mark Sutton includes the story of the Leggett
brothers William and Ernest of 282 Ferndale Road who enlisted together in
Swindon and served alongside each other in 1st Battalion of the
Wiltshire Regiment.
William
was shot during action on the Ypres Salient on June 16, 1915 and was taken into
one of the dugouts where Ernest sat with him until he died.
“He
was a very brave chap and was very happy, right up to the last. I was proud of the way he stuck it out,”
Ernest wrote home to his mother.
Lance
Corporal F. Parker who lived near the Leggett family in Ferndale Road also wrote
to his mother:
“I
am sorry to say Billy Leggett was killed.
One of our chaps told me that Ern was with him as well and he said that
Billy died very calm and like a hero. He
was shot through the stomach and the bullet came out at the hip.” Less than three months later 21 year old
Ernest was also killed in action.
The
brothers who enlisted together, served and fought together are remembered
together - their names appear on the Menin Gate Memorial in Belgium and the
Sanford Street School memorial.
Tell
Them of Us – Remembering Swindon’s Sons by Mark Sutton is available for
consultation in Swindon Central Library.
Copies can be obtained from the author on sutton5110@hotmail.co.uk.
Sanford Street School First World War Roll of Honour
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