Leonard's Story.
Leonard Malley was born in 1893 in Liverpool to parents, William Charles, a pawn broker, and Mary Jane Malley. Leonard was baptised at St. George’s Church, Everton on the 25th June 1893, at that time they were living at 7 Joshua Street, Liverpool.By 1901 the family had moved to Birkenhead and were living at 36 Patten Street. William still worked as a pawn broker and the census of that year recorded that Leonard had two sisters, Lilian (5), Elsie (1) and a brother William (3). Leonard was educated at the Claughton Higher Grade School.
The 1911 census revealed that the family had moved again, this time to 8, Marlborough Grove, still in Birkenhead. By then there were four more siblings, Martha (7), John (5), George (2), and Mary (under 3 months). Leonard, aged 17, assisted his father in his pawn broker business which was located at 157 Price Street, Birkenhead.
1911 census
The First World War broke out in the summer of 1914 and Leonard enlisted early. He attested on the 2nd September 1914 in Liverpool and joined the 18th Battalion (2nd Pals) King’s Liverpool Regiment, he was 21 years old. He spent the early months of the war in training before arriving in France with his battalion on 7th November 1915. Leonard was promoted to Lance Corporal at the beginning of June 1916.
On 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, the 18th King’s Liverpool, as part of the 30th Division, was tasked with taking German defensive positions, including Glatz Redoubt and ultimately the village of Montauban.
The battalion war diary below outlines their initial action on the 1st July
6.30 am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches.
7.30 am Zero Hour - the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.
Montauban was eventually captured later in the day but the battalion paid a high price with a huge number of casualties.
It was during this action that Lance Corporal Leonard Malley, aged 23, was killed.
Like the many thousands of men who were killed on this date, 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme, Leonard’s body was never found or identified and therefore he is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.
A memorial to the Liverpool Pals was erected in the village of Montauban
His death was reported in the local paper, the Birkenhead News, on 19th July 1916
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A further article in the same newspaper a month later, on the 19th August, reported on a memorial service to Leonard at his local church, Christ Church, Birkenhead.
Lance Corporal Malley was awarded the British Medal, the Victory Medal and the 1914-15 Star.
He is remembered on the Birkenhead War Memorial and the war memorial inside Christ Church, Birkenhead.
Christ Church Birkenhead War Memorial
Research and photographs by Chris Booth