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Kā Kōrero o Waikirikiri Selwyn Stories

Private Francis Leonard Richards

Description

TitlePrivate Francis Leonard RichardsSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionFrancis was born in Belfast, Canterbury on 19 July 1894, son of Richard and Elizabeth Richards. He had military experience as he was in the 13th Territorial Regiment, the North Canterbury and Westland. At the time of enlistment he was working as a labourer for A. and W. Gillanders at Waddington. He was 5ft 6 ½ in tall with a clear complexion, hazel eyes and black hair. His distinguishing mark was a scar on the back of his left calf.

He enlisted at Waddington on 17 August 1914, a day before the Governor called all territorial units into active service. Francis left with other members of the Main Body on 16 October 1914 bound for Suez. He was amongst those who landed at Gallipoli on 25 April and suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen on 9 May. The New Zealand forces had been involved in the attempt to take the village of Krithia. Francis was taken to a casualty clearing station but died of his wounds the same day, aged 20. He was buried in the Lancashire Landing Cemetery, Gallipoli. Francis is remembered on the Malvern County and Sheffield War Memorials.

The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. The Allies landed on the peninsula on 25-26 April 1915; the 29th Division at Cape Helles in the south and the Australian and New Zealand Corps north of Gaba Tepe on the west coast, an area soon known as Anzac. At Helles, the 29th Division landed troops at 'S,' 'V,' 'W,' 'X' and 'Y' Beaches, five small coves at or near the southern end of the peninsula. The landing at 'Y' Beach (Gurkha Bluffs) was carried out by the 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers and the Plymouth Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, but these troops were forced to re-embark on the following day. The 2nd Royal Fusiliers landed at 'X' Beach, followed by the rest of the 87th Brigade. Under very severe fire, the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers landed on 'W' Beach and cut their way through wire entanglements and trenches to the edge of the cliff. They and the other battalions of the 88th Brigade established themselves on the hills of Tekke Burnu and Helles Burnu. The beach became known as Lancashire Landing. The greater part of the cemetery (Rows A to J and part of Row L) was made between the landing in April 1915 and the evacuation of the peninsula in January 1916. Row I contains the graves of over 80 men of the 1st Lancashire Fusiliers who died in the first two days following the landing. The 97 graves in Row K and graves 31 to 83 in Row L were brought from islands of the Aegean after the Armistice. There are now 1,237 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 135 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate ten casualties who are known to be buried among them.First NameFrancis LeonardFamilySon of Richard Sampson and Elizabeth Miriam Richards of Belfast, Canterbury.Place of BirthBelfast, ChristchurchDate of Death9 May 1915Place of DeathGallipoli, TurkeyCause of DeathDied of woundsAge at Death20

Connections

CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialSheffield War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph

Military Service

Memorial or CemeteryLancashire Landing Cemetery, GallipoliMalvern County War MemorialSheffield War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingLabourerRegiment or ServiceCanterbury Infantry Regiment Enlistment Details17th August 1914Service Number6/128Embarkation16th October 1914Place of EmbarkationLytteltonTransportTahitiAthenicTheatre of WarTurkey

Attribution

Researched ByL. M. Seaton

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Private Francis Leonard Richards