Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood MC AFC Yorks & Lancs / RFC

[RaySearching]

Hi Forum Pals

Below is Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood’s headstone from St Germains Churchyard Marske By The Sea, The cross has been broken of the plinth and lays discarded behind the headstone
There are a further five R F C casualties of war interned in this churchyard
They all have CWGC headstones
Major Aislewood,has no CWGC stone he is commemorated on a family memorial erected by his family

Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood MC AFC was killed accidentally on the 29^th of September 1918, While flying a Sopwith Camel E1456 ,During the making of an instructional film demonstrating battle technique’s at Redcar when his plane suddenly spun into the sea
It is reported that a court of enquiry later found the elevator controls had become jammed because his flying clothes had become entangled with the control levers
Major L P Aizlewood was the only child of Albert Peech and Florence Shaw Aizlewood Of Blenheim House Rotherham born in 1895 he was educated at Uppingham School later he studied Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at Sheffield University He received a commission in the York and Lancaster Regiment and entered into active Military service at the outbreak of the war
His service begun with the 5^th Bn Yorks and Lancaster Regiment a territorial unit
He served in France from April 1915 and was invalided home a short time later ,He was then seconded to the R F C having previously gained flying experience, He flew to France in July 1916

In October of this year he was awarded the Military Cross

After being posted to various locations he was finally posted To 2nd School of Aerial Fighting at Marske By The Sea

His grave lies in the corner of the Churchyard overlooking the sea where he lost his life

L.P.Aizlewood MC AFC

THE LONDON GAZETTE 23 OCTOBER, 1914
5th Battalion, The York and Lancaster Regiment.
Second Lieutenant Leslie P. Aizlewood to
be Lieutenant Dated 2nd September, 1914

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 9 DECEMBER, 1915
The York and Lancaster Regiment.
The undermentioned Lieutenant to be temporary Captain .
Leslie P. Aizlewood Dated 26th July,1915

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 2 MAY, 1916.
2nd Lt.- (temp. Capt.) L. P. Aizlewood to
be Lt. (temp. Capt.). 26th Sept. 1914

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 7 JUNE, 1916.
17th May 1916.
2nd Lt. (temp. Capt) L. P. Aizlewood,
York, and Lane. R., T.F.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE 21 JUNE, 1916
York and Lancaster Regt.
2nd Lt. (temp. Capt.) L. P. Aizlewood is
seconded for duty with "R.F.C. 17th May
1916.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 20 OCTOBER, 1916
His Majesty the KING has been graciously
pleased to confer the Military Cross
on the undermentioned Officer and
Warrant Officer in recognition of their
gallantry and devotion to duty in the
Field :—
Lt. (temp. Capt.) Leslie Peech Aizlewood,
York and Lanc. R. and R.F.C.

For conspicuous gallantry and skill.
Seeing five hostile machines, he manoeuvred
to get between them and their lines; then,
diving on one of them, he reserved his fire
till he was only twenty yards off. The
hostile machine fell out of control, but he
was so close to it that he collided with it,
breaking his propeller and damaging his
machine. Though it was barely controllable,
he managed to get back to our lines.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 11 JANUARY, 1917
ROYAL FLYING CORPS..
Lt. (temp. Capt.) L. P. Aizlewood, M.C.,
York and Lanc from a Flying
.Officer. 24th Dec. 1916.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 25 FEBRUARY, 1918
Schools of Aerial Fighting.
Chief Instr.—(Graded as a Sqdn. Comdr.)—
Capt. L. P. Aizlewood, M.C., York &
Lanc. R., T.F., a Flight Comdr., and to
be temp. Maj. whilst so empld. 19th Oct.
1917.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 1 JANUARY, 1919
AWARDED THE AIR FORCE CROSS.
Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood, M.C.

Have Any Forum Pals a Photo of Major Aizlewood Could you please post it on this thread

there was one one on a earlier thread some time ago but it has been removed
Thanks in advance

[RaySearching]

Finally managed to acquire a photo
its always nice to put a photo to a stone


Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood MC AFC Yorks & Lancs / RFC

[Dolphin]

Major L P Aizlewood MC AFC of No 2 Fighting School, RAF, was killed in an accident while flying Sopwith Camel E1456 on 29 September 1918. The aeroplane spun into the ground from 1000 feet during the making of an instructional film.

I hope that this is interesting.

Gareth

[nils d]

And did you know there is film of this?

Well one cant be sure but there is a reel of IWM film showing some aerobatics being flown at Marske and Redcar.

lt includes a brief shot of a Camel performing a falling leaf stunt over the the sea. A mere coincedence?

lm willing to bet this is Aizewood and perhaps they cut out the acual crash.

l wonder why the family didnt request a burial at home.? lts in the same county after all.

[ceebee]

Ray

Thanks for posting the photos and information about Captain Aizlewood. I was particularly attracted by the lines of text on the memorial stonework:

One crowded hour of glorious life is worth an age without a name.

These words were used by the late photojournalist Neil Davis in his work diaries. His biography, written by Tim Bowden, is titled One Crowded Hour: Neil Davis Combat Cameraman.

The words come from the eleventh stanza of a poem titled The Call written in the eighteenth century by Thomas Osbert Mordaunt.

Sound, sound the clarion, fill the fife,

Throughout the sensual world proclaim,

One crowded hour of glorious life

Is worth an age without a name.

A quick search on Aizlewood reveals some interesting facts.

A brief outline of his military career can be found on the Yorkshire Aircraft website link. Other information can be gleaned from various threads on the Aerodrome website and other sources. For instance, on 10 February 1917, whilst flying with 32 Squadron in Airco D.H.2 (A2548), Aizlewood was shot down and wounded by German ace Werner Voss. This was Voss’s sixth victory.

It appears his plane was not substantially damaged since there are records of its use five days later by Captain Hubert William Godfrey Jones, when he claimed his seventh victory, and by Captain Arthur Clunie “Snowy” Randall on 11 March 1917, when he claimed his second victory. [The Aerodrome also has Jones being wounded in action on 15 February 1917 whilst flying D.H. 2 (A2535). Jones was an interesting character – after the war, he assumed the name Penderel and became an air racer and explorer. He was killed whilst testing a Hurricane in 1943.]

Aizlewood, at the time, had four victories, one of which involved a collision with a German aircraft and earned him the Military Cross. I can find reference to two other victories, both shared:

30 September 1916 – shared with Lt William George Sellar “Growler” Curphey (KIA 15 May 1917)

23 January 1917 – shared with Arthur Clunie "Snowy" Randall, Lt G J King, Lt Frank Billinge, Lt TA Gooch and 2/Lt Arthur Coningham [later Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham]

[ceebee]

nils d

I have come across a number of references provided by Forum member Chemshark (Les Parsons) relating to filming over Marske and Redcar.

One reference notes a letter dated 4 September 1918 from Captain Henry John Butler to his family which includes comments about flights in a monoplane for a war film being shot by a cinema photographer. At the time, Butler was at No.2 Fighting School (formerly No.2 School of Aerial Fighting and Gunnery). He later became the Chief Fighting Instructor at the School upon Aizlewood’s death. Whether Butler used a Sopwith Camel for latter sessions is not recorded in the information I sighted. There is also a chance that other skilled pilots may have participated.

[RaySearching]

Somebody still cares!

I had half an hour to spare whilst in the Marske area

So I popped into St Germains Churchyard Marske By The Sea, The last visit was some 4 years ago

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Aizlewoods grave had been tidied up, Weeds removed, The curbstone's re-laid with new chipping infill

Quite a difference to my last visit when the grave looked badly neglected

Obviously some one still cares about his final resting place

regards Ray

[ceebee]

Ray

Just came across your post. Thanks for the update.

This article http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/group-set-spruce-up-marskes-3691352 explains the work done to the grave.

Chris

[BarnsleyHistorian]

Hi,

I recently found a detailed biography of Major Aizlewood in a back issue of the Rotherham FHS journal and I have added it to Lives of the First World War.

https://livesofthefirstworldwar.org/lifestory/666402

I have also added links to this thread in the external evidence section of his Life Story.

Would it be OK for me to use the photo of this man shown above in Lives as his profile picture? No source was given in the post ... and it appears to be the only version of this photo of him online.

Or the person who originally posted it might like to add it to Lives themselves.

Thanks,

Linda

[Guest jimbo2107]

My name is Jim Aizlewood, I found out about my relative from a very unexpected source, my wife's cousin. We live in Sheffield and apart from Xmas cards don't really have contact with relatives living away from Sheffield. That was until my wife's cousin rang one night to ask if I was related to a Lesley Peech Aizlewood, my initial response was, I didn't know, but after some searching into my family history I found that I was indeed related. It transpired that Joan my wife's cousin was one of the church wardens at St Germains in Marske on Sea and she told me of the grave and its condition and asked if they could have my permission to tidy it up, this was duly given and the tidy up was completed with help from her son in law. It was only due to the somewhat unusual spelling of our surnamewhich prompted her to ask, I have done quite a bit of searching since discovering this and our family has quite some history in the Sheffield and Rotherham area.

[RaySearching]

Thanks for the additional info Jim

and welcome to the forum

Feel free to add any other info you may have regarding L P Aizlewood

on this thread

regards Ray

[RaySearching]

Just received this message regarding this thread I started in 2010

I thought I would add the contents of the message to the thread

 

Hi Ray, I saw your thread regarding Major Leslie Peech Aizlewood and the subsequent reply regarding the tidying up of the grave. It wasn't the friends of St Germains who tidyed his grave. It was a lady named June McBurney, her family are originally from the same area as him. One of her cousins married an Aizlewood (some relation). She got her son and son in law to relay the curbstones and gravel that she paid for. She regularly goes and weeds it as well.

Katie Callaghan

 

Thanks Kate

 

 

Ray