Major Chandos Leigh K.O.S.B ,

[Glengarry1950]

Hello Troops,

I am researching this Officers but cant find him on the CWGC list although he is listed on De-Ruvigny's Roll of Honour 1914-1919 having been wounded at the Mons Canal battle but died of wounds in a German military hospital as a POW and in trun buried in Heritage Military Cemetery by the Germans by not being in a British War Cemetery should his exclude him from the CWGC List, I think not so is he one of the ones who require to be brought in from the cold. Here is a narrative of his action.

Kind regards

Hiram

With the outbreak of the Great War, Leigh who had been promoted to Major, was posted overseas to France with the 2nd Battalion on 15th August 1914, forming part of the 13th Brigade, and was almost immediately in action at Mons when in command of 'D' Company which was positioned on the north bank of the Mons Canal, its job being to guard and then to destroy the Lock No.4, while the other units were on the south bank covering his right flank and the crossing. About a mile from the Lock No.4, Major Coke held 'B' Company, K.O.S.B. in reserve. The night before the battle of Mons, a legendary event took place that has forever lived in the hearts and regimental lore of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

On one side of the Canal and Lock No.4 was a small farm house that was occupied by three Belgiums: a man, his wife and their daughter. That night, 22nd August 1914, they cooked a fine dinner for the King's Own Scottish Borderers officer's, a dinner of omelettes and coffee, and the lady of the house then thought it might be fun if all the officer's present signed their names on the tablecloth as a remembrance of the event. So was born the famous "Mons Tablecloth". In November 1918 Major E.S. D'Ewes-Coke, a fellow officer in the King's Own Scottish Borderers who had spent the night with Leigh at the little farmhouse found himself in the same place, overlooking the Canal and Lock. At first he could not recognise the house, which was mostly destroyed by four years of war. At last he found the remains of the building and proceeded to explore the back garden. Suddenly, out of the back door appeared the two women who had hosted and fed the officers four years before. He explained that he was one of the officers, and was immediately invited for coffee in the same room he had shared their hospitality in 1914. The women remembered all of the officers and asked after them all. It turned out that Major Coke was the only officer from the original group still on active service with the battalion. Most of the men had fallen during the past four years. He recounted the signing of the tablecloth and as soon as he mentioned it the women produced the treasure. The women had embroidered each signature. Coke signed, at their insistence, a second time. Today this tablecloth hangs one the wall at the King's Own Scottish Borderers museum and depot in Berwick-on-Tweed. It is one of the most valued of all regimental icons. Almost directly in the centre of the cloth is the embroidered signature "C. Leigh".

The fighting at Mons proper started about 9 am on 23rd August 1914, and started to the east of Major Leigh's position. By 1 pm it had spread to his location. The first German's were spotted from a position on the high ground south of the Mons Canal. This was a group of men from the Brandenburg Grenadiers of the III German Army Corps. They tried to advance in open order, but due to the heavy rifle fire from the King's Own Scottish Borderers and Lieutenant Pepys' machine guns, they suffered heavy casualties. Now the Germans called on their artillery and their superior numbers and calibre quickly dominated the single battery the 13th Infantry Brigade had left to support the K.O.S.B. position. All the houses located in the heights suffered from the German artillery. The hospital in the Lock House was hit and suffered many casualties. The entire village of Les Herbieres was splashed with shrapnel, the village consisted of 15 or so scattered residences, and most were hit and damaged by the bombardment.

Part of "A" Company under Captain Spencer was sent across to join "D" Company, and at this stage in the action Leigh decided that to avoid the artillery he must get further away from the six or so houses on the north bank. He advanced from his canal bank position - a "nasty operation" according to the Regimental History. This was, in fact, a counter attack against the numerically superior Germans. This advance was immediately shelled and came under heavy small arms and machine gun fire. The German rifle fire was not too effective, but when combined with artillery and machine guns the Germans halted the counter attack and began to advance again. Two King's Own Scottish Borderers officer's were immediately wounded, Captain's Kennedy and Spencer.

When the roll was taken on the far bank, Major Leigh was posted as missing, Captain Spencer searched for him from 3 pm to 4 pm but in vain. The King's Own Scottish Borderers then withdrew and destroyed the lock. Major Leigh was, in fact, lying wounded between the lines. That night, as facts and stories were sorted out, it was reported that two men had come upon Major Leigh, severely wounded, at the end of the final withdrawal towards the bridge. The men were told by Leigh to "never mind him, as the enemy were in great strength and the bridge must be destroyed without further delay".

Leigh passed into the hands of the Germans, being taken prisoner, however he was mortally wounded, being taken to a German field hospital, he died of his wounds six days later on 29th August 1914, being buried with full military honours by the Germans in Heritage Military Cemetery, a cemetery almost entirely filled with Germans. On the Harrow War Memorial for those who fell in the Great War it is noted that "He was the first Old Harrovian to fall in the war". The "War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1918" mistakingly gives his date of death as 1918, not 1914. Of further note, his brother, Lieutenant Edward Harry Leigh, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade, was killed in action by a sniper at Aubers' Ridge on 9th May 1915 while leading his men in an attack. His father, Sir Edward Chandos Leigh, died three days after hearing of his second son's death, as it happened too many times, the war had ended another old and distinguished family line.

Tags: Leigh 1st

[BFBSM]

Leigh also served in the Boer War with the KOSB as a Lieutenant, went to Harrow. He is Gazetted as having been awarded the DSO on October 1, 1901. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/Edinburgh/issue/11343/page/1091

He is listed on CWGC: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/481872/LEIGH,%20CHANDOS

Mark

[BFBSM]

Service during the Boer War, according to Medal Rolls, for South Africa Medal issued on 1st April, 1901 (Queen's South Africa Medal) with the 1st KOSB, shows clasps for action/Battles at (http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1686/31794_221473-00005/1794118?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dcampaignmedalrolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn%3dChandos%26gsln%3dLeigh%26cpxt%3d1%26uidh%3del4%26cp%3d11%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d3%26h%3d1798221%26recoff%3d5%2b6%26ml_rpos%3d4&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord):

Paardeberg

Johannesburg

Diamond Hill

Wittebergen

Relief of Kimberly

Cape Colony

Transvaal

The Medal Roll for the South Africa Medal issued on 1st October, 1902 (King's South Africa Medal), shows no clasps. http://interactive.ancestry.co.uk/1686/31794_221473-00129/1798221?backurl=http%3a%2f%2fsearch.ancestry.co.uk%2fcgi-bin%2fsse.dll%3findiv%3d1%26db%3dcampaignmedalrolls%26rank%3d1%26new%3d1%26MSAV%3d1%26msT%3d1%26gss%3dangs-d%26gsfn%3dChandos%26gsln%3dLeigh%26cpxt%3d1%26uidh%3del4%26cp%3d11%26pcat%3d39%26fh%3d3%26h%3d1798221%26recoff%3d5%2b6%26ml_rpos%3d4&ssrc=&backlabel=ReturnRecord

Other Gazetted decorations:

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28623/page/4747

https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28445/page/9225

[Glengarry1950]

Hi Mark,

I have sent an E Mail to my Regimental Museum as his medals are up for sale and it has been passed on to the Regimental Treasurer, but the WW1 Trio are not included ? I since viewed his MIC and its unclear if his wife received the Trio after claiming them in 1920 as there is correspondence on the card about retuning the medals then resending and various addresses but it requires looking at in detail to confirm the family did receive them as I find it strange that they are not included with his other medals in the sale.

I was looking for him in Ancestry never dawned on me to look in the other site which I am now aware off thank you Mark. He wont be on the 1902 clasp list as he requested a transfer to the Egyptian Army see military record of service below

Here are his other Medals and MIC WW1

Click image to enlarge (not allowed)

The regimentally important and unique Boer War 1900 Mounted Infantry Distinguished Service Order and Egyptian Army Order of the Medjidie and Order of Osmanieh group awarded to Major C. Leigh, 1st later 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers, who was killed in action commanding his company during the defence of the lock at Mons on 23rd August 1914, being a signatory of the famous 'Mons Tablecloth'.

Group of 5: Distinguished Service Order, VRI Cypher, silver-gilt and enamels; Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 6 Clasps: Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, South Africa 1901 - this last clasp a tailor's copy; (CAPT. C. LEIGH. D.S.O, K.O.SCO:BORD:); Ottoman Turkey: Order of the Medjidie, 3rd Class neck badge, silver, gold and enamels, Turkish manufacture; Ottoman Turkey: Order of Osmanieh, 4th Class, breast badge, lacking rosette on ribbon; Egypt: Khedive's Sudan Medal 1896-1908, 1 Clasp: Nyam Nyam, unnamed as issued. First two mounted loose style as worn, the remainder as are.

Condition: enamel damage to crescent suspension on third, overall Good Very Fine.

Chandos Leigh was born on 29th August 1873, the son of the Honourable Sir E. Chandos Leigh, K.C.B., J.P., K.C., Bencher of the Inner Temple and Speaker of the House of Commons, and of Lady Leigh. His family had a distinguished history, being traced back to Hamon de Leigh, Lord of the Moiety of High Leigh, County Chester during the reign of Henry II (1154-1189), with another descendent being Sir Piers Leigh, who carried the standard of Edward, the Black Prince, at the battle of Crecy, and was attached to the Black Prince's son, Richard II, and lost his life and his head, in the service of the monarch, being beheaded at Chester in 1399, his head being placed on one of the highest turrets of the castle.

Leigh was educated at Harrow School from 1887 to 1890, where he was in Mr. Watson's small house on the High Street, and was further educated at Trinity College, Cambridge University, and having briefly served as a Lieutenant with the 4th Militia Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant into the King's Own Scottish Borderers on 29th May 1895, and joined the 1st Battalion garrisoned at York, was promoted to Lieutenant in September 1897 when stationed at Aldershot, then moving with the Battalion to Dublin.

With the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa, Leigh was still serving in Ireland, but then sailed with the 1st Battalion from Southampton on 5th January 1900, and on arrival in South Africa was attached together with a company from his Battalion to the 7th Mounted Infantry Regiment, and would go on to keep a diary of his time in the Boer War, the diary now housed in the collection of the Regimental Museum at Berwick-on-Tweed, which in addition to an account of the campaign, also includes sketches and drawings, 'some on a lighter side, and some very entertaining'.

As Leigh noted in his diary, none of the K.O.S.B. Officers had any previous experience with the Mounted Infantry and he noted that additional Mounted Infantry candidates were chosen "from men who supposedly had knowledge of horses, viz. Any man whether he had been an officer's groom, driven a milk cart or hansom cab, or even sold cat's meat". After minimal training they invaded the Orange Free State, and fought in the action at Waterval Drift, a ford on the Riet River, and then joined their parent regiment, the 1st Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers to repulse a Boer attack on a British convoy, and from there they rode, on short rations, to Jacobspruit, and then helped to relieve Kimberly, although Leigh's unit was part of the rear guard conveying General French's supplies and provisions from Klip Drift to Kimberly. The 7th Mounted Infantry Regiment then pursued the Boer General Cronje and his force from Magersfontein, and after a very long forced march the unit reached Paardeberg Drift, by which time they had depleted all their supplies and lived off the emergency rations they carried.

Following Cronje's surrender, the 7th Mounted Infantry became part of the force marching to Pretoria. According to Leigh's diary, in 1900 he and his unit fought 45 engagements with the Boers and marched over 900 miles. Leigh noted that he had 13 horses during this period, thus illustrating the harsh conditions faced by the K.O.S.B company during its service with the 7th Mounted Infantry.

In April 1901 Leigh was promoted to Captain, but fell sick as the long days and nights on the veldt finally caught up with him. He was at Wynberg Hospital for most of July, then sailed home at the end of the month, and then sailed home at the end of the month. For his Boer War services, Leigh was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the London Gazette for 27th September 1901, and during the period he was serving with the 7th Mounted Infantry he was engaged at Magersfontein, Pretoria, Klip Drift, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, and Bothaville, being Mentioned in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services in the London Gazette for 10th September 1901, being awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, with clasps for Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill, Wittebergen, Relief of Kimberley and South Africa 1901, however the last clasp was never actually issued to him (explaining the presence of the tailor's copy clasp), and nor does the relief of Kimberley clasp appear to have been worn, it is not now with the medal.

In 1902, Leigh requested secondment to the Egyptian Army, and served from 17th April 1902 through to 16th April 1912, during which period he fought in one major campaign in the Bahr-el-Ghazel province against the Nyam Nyam tribesmen from January to May 1905, being one of only 18 British officers to receive the Khedive's Sudan Medal with clasp Nyan Nyan, it being unique to an officer of the King's Own Scottish Borderers. He was also awarded the Order of Osmanieh 4th Class, gazetted on 9th December 1910, and the Order of the Medjedieh 3rd Class, gazetted on 2nd July 1912. A noted horseman and polo player, he was well known on the Cairo turf, where he more than once headed the winning list of steeplechase riders, both amateur and professional. He had hunted in his boyhood in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire, and also with the Meath and Ward Union packs, when he was quartered with his regiment in Ireland, and also took honours in the open jumping at the horse show in Dublin.

Leigh returned to his Regiment, the 2nd Battalion, King's Own Scottish Borderers in April 1912, then serving in Dublin, and married Winifred Madeline Jeffreys on 6th June 1912, daughter of the Right Honourable Arthur Frederick Jeffreys, P.C., D.L., M.P., of Burklion, Hampshire, however never had any children, and would reside with his wife at 45 Grosvenor Street, London, Leigh being an active member of the Army and Navy Club at this time.

Whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion in Dublin, there were many troubles between British troops and Irish Nationalists, these troubles being especially true of the relationship of the 2nd K.O.S.B.'s and the local Irish. On 26th July 1914 elements of the battalion were involved in a confrontation that resulted in one female and two male Irish Nationalist fatalities, and following this the battalion was kept under close confinement to avoid further incidents.

With the outbreak of the Great War, Leigh who had been promoted to Major, was posted overseas to France with the 2nd Battalion on 15th August 1914, forming part of the 13th Brigade, and was almost immediately in action at Mons when in command of 'D' Company which was positioned on the north bank of the Mons Canal, its job being to guard and then to destroy the Lock No.4, while the other units were on the south bank covering his right flank and the crossing. About a mile from the Lock No.4, Major Coke held 'B' Company, K.O.S.B. in reserve. The night before the battle of Mons, a legendary event took place that has forever lived in the hearts and regimental lore of the King's Own Scottish Borderers.

On one side of the Canal and Lock No.4 was a small farm house that was occupied by three Belgiums: a man, his wife and their daughter. That night, 22nd August 1914, they cooked a fine dinner for the King's Own Scottish Borderers officer's, a dinner of omelettes and coffee, and the lady of the house then thought it might be fun if all the officer's present signed their names on the tablecloth as a remembrance of the event. So was born the famous "Mons Tablecloth". In November 1918 Major E.S. D'Ewes-Coke, a fellow officer in the King's Own Scottish Borderers who had spent the night with Leigh at the little farmhouse found himself in the same place, overlooking the Canal and Lock. At first he could not recognise the house, which was mostly destroyed by four years of war. At last he found the remains of the building and proceeded to explore the back garden. Suddenly, out of the back door appeared the two women who had hosted and fed the officers four years before. He explained that he was one of the officers, and was immediately invited for coffee in the same room he had shared their hospitality in 1914. The women remembered all of the officers and asked after them all. It turned out that Major Coke was the only officer from the original group still on active service with the battalion. Most of the men had fallen during the past four years. He recounted the signing of the tablecloth and as soon as he mentioned it the women produced the treasure. The women had embroidered each signature. Coke signed, at their insistence, a second time. Today this tablecloth hangs one the wall at the King's Own Scottish Borderers museum and depot in Berwick-on-Tweed. It is one of the most valued of all regimental icons. Almost directly in the centre of the cloth is the embroidered signature "C. Leigh".

The fighting at Mons proper started about 9 am on 23rd August 1914, and started to the east of Major Leigh's position. By 1 pm it had spread to his location. The first German's were spotted from a position on the high ground south of the Mons Canal. This was a group of men from the Brandenburg Grenadiers of the III German Army Corps. They tried to advance in open order, but due to the heavy rifle fire from the King's Own Scottish Borderers and Lieutenant Pepys' machine guns, they suffered heavy casualties. Now the Germans called on their artillery and their superior numbers and calibre quickly dominated the single battery the 13th Infantry Brigade had left to support the K.O.S.B. position. All the houses located in the heights suffered from the German artillery. The hospital in the Lock House was hit and suffered many casualties. The entire village of Les Herbieres was splashed with shrapnel, the village consisted of 15 or so scattered residences, and most were hit and damaged by the bombardment.

Part of "A" Company under Captain Spencer was sent across to join "D" Company, and at this stage in the action Leigh decided that to avoid the artillery he must get further away from the six or so houses on the north bank. He advanced from his canal bank position - a "nasty operation" according to the Regimental History. This was, in fact, a counter attack against the numerically superior Germans. This advance was immediately shelled and came under heavy small arms and machine gun fire. The German rifle fire was not too effective, but when combined with artillery and machine guns the Germans halted the counter attack and began to advance again. Two King's Own Scottish Borderers officer's were immediately wounded, Captain's Kennedy and Spencer.

When the roll was taken on the far bank, Major Leigh was posted as missing, Captain Spencer searched for him from 3 pm to 4 pm but in vain. The King's Own Scottish Borderers then withdrew and destroyed the lock. Major Leigh was, in fact, lying wounded between the lines. That night, as facts and stories were sorted out, it was reported that two men had come upon Major Leigh, severely wounded, at the end of the final withdrawal towards the bridge. The men were told by Leigh to "never mind him, as the enemy were in great strength and the bridge must be destroyed without further delay".

Leigh passed into the hands of the Germans, being taken prisoner, however he was mortally wounded, being taken to a German field hospital, he died of his wounds six days later on 29th August 1914, being buried with full military honours by the Germans in Heritage Military Cemetery, a cemetery almost entirely filled with Germans. On the Harrow War Memorial for those who fell in the Great War it is noted that "He was the first Old Harrovian to fall in the war". The "War List of the University of Cambridge 1914-1918" mistakingly gives his date of death as 1918, not 1914. Of further note, his brother, Lieutenant Edward Harry Leigh, 2nd Battalion, Rifle Brigade, was killed in action by a sniper at Aubers' Ridge on 9th May 1915 while leading his men in an attack. His father, Sir Edward Chandos Leigh, died three days after hearing of his second son's death, as it happened too many times, the war had ended another old and distinguished family line.

I have attached a picture of his medals for sale and his MIC . Oop's Image not allowed ?

Kind regards

Hiram

Edited 9 August , 2014 by Glengarry1950

[Glengarry1950]

Hi Mark,

I have now attached his other medals and MIC for you to view.

Cheers

Hiram

[alanpat]

Major Chandos Leigh 2nd KOSB is buried in Hautrage Military Cemetery . 2 plots away from my Grandfather. CSM Charles Wilson 2nd KOSB , who was the CSM of A Company under Capt Spencer .

I along with other descendants , some from the USA, of my Grandfather are visiting The battlefield and Cemetery to commemorate the centenary next Saturday the 23rd August 2014 .

[tharkin56]

Major Chandos Leigh features in a book i am just finishing on polo players in the Great War assume you have his photo from the Harrow Roll

[Dominion]

Please see attached an image of Chandos Leigh's Memorial Plaque