William Thomas Leggett

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Toegevoegd op 13 november 2010 door monlouis

William Thomas Leggett

Afbeelding toegevoegd door monlouis

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Kunstenaar:
niet gekend
Opschrift:
AUSTRALIA 1914 GELUWE
Deze plaque herdenkt William Leggett, de eerste Australiër die sneuvelde in de strijd om Ieper (+14.10.1914).
William Thomas Leggett (*26.01.1891 - +14.10.1914) NR. 2880 Corporal of Horse, C squadron, 1st Life Guards.
William Leggett is believed to be the first Australian killed in action in the defence of Ypres during the First World War. He died on 14 October 1914 during a brief skirmish with German troops occupying Geluwe. Leggett was serving with the British in the 1st Life Guards (7th British Cavalry Brigade). Leggett was born in 1891 at Lithgow, New South Wales. Later he lived in Goulburn, and in 1912 travelled via Sydney to England to join the King's Life Guards, where he rose to the rank of Corporal of Horse.
The skirmish at Geluwe occurred five days before the First Battle of Ypres, which lasted until 22 November 1914. At this point the fluid troup movements of previous wars were over and four long years of terrible, static, trench warfare ensued.
From 1914 until 14 October 1918 the village of Geluwe remained in German hands. It was one of the first captured villages to remain unhabited by civilians behind the Ypres Salient and was used as a billet for German troops.
Geluwe was completely destroyed during the Third Battle of Ypres (1917) and the Flanders Offensive (1918) but was totally rebuilt post-war.
Plaatsbeschrijving:
Geluwe - Sint-Denijsplaats
Informatie toegevoegd door monlouis :
13 november 2010
Op 14 oktober 1914 sneuvelde Corporal of Horse William Thomas Leggett(1st Life Guards) in Geluwe. Hij was de eerste Australiër die stierf in de strijd om Ieper.