Joseph Leather

War Service

Joseph was a Guardsman in the Grenadier Guards, Regimental number 2617650, who died on 7th November 1940. He was buried in Alverthorpe Churchyard and the record says he lived at School House, Alverthorpe.
I found a memorial printed in the Wakefield Express on 8th November 1941 from Joseph’s wife Dorothy (nee Newton – they had married only a few months before his death in 1940). There were also memorials from his parents and his brother Fred and sister-in-law.
In November 1943 there were memorials printed once more in the Wakefield Express including one that was from his brother Fred and sister-in-law Rene. It said that his brother Fred was also overseas. Fred had already been wounded twice according to the Wakefield Express of 11th September 1943. He had been injured in 1940 at Dunkirk and then in 1943 he was reported to be in hospital in the Middle East after having been wounded in Sicily.

Family Life

Searching the birth registration records I found Joseph Leather born in the Wakefield District in 1920 and Fred Leather born in Wakefield in 1918, both with the mother’s surname of Farrar. I then traced a marriage of Dennis Leather and Sarah Farrah on 12th January 1918 at St Anne’s Church, Wrenthorpe. Dennis lived on Wheel Hill, Wrenthorpe and Sarah of Bragg Lane End and Dennis’ father was Tom. This linked Joseph to Fred and Ernest Leather who died in the First World War and who are also on the Kirkhamgate Memorial. Dennis was brother to Fred and Ernest and so Joseph was their nephew.
In the 1939 Register Dennis and Sarah were living at 10, Flanshaw Lane with Dennis a colliery roadman below ground and Sarah a cloth weaver. Fred, who had been born on 7th August 1918, did not have an occupation listed, but in the margin it said he was No 10148351 East Yorkshire Regiment. There was a closed record which is probably Joseph.

Alverthorpe Churchyard