Lance Corporal William McLeod

Lance Corporal William James McLeod, 1st/7th ( Territorial ) Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers. He was killed in action in Belgium on 26th April 1915, aged 21, during the Battle of St Julien which was part of the Second Battle of Ypres . He was the son of the late William and Helen McLeod of Tweedmouth and is buried in Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium. His Headstone is inscribed ” At Rest”. The Battalion had only landed in France on 21st April before being rushed north into into Flanders to take part in an abortive attack to support the Canadians in the Ypres Salient near the village of St. Julien. The Battalion was caught in the open by enemy artillery and machine guns and suffered heavy casualties. 2 Officers and 19 Other Ranks were killed with 217 men wounded and 161 missing. This was about 40% of the Battalion strength. A severe baptism of fire for the Berwick Territorials. The photograph shows the impressive Memorial raised to commemorate the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Division of which the Battalion was part until February 1918. It was erected near the village of Weiltje in the Ypres Salient near to where they had fought their first action on 26th April 1915.