Captain Claude Guy LEATHAM MC and Bar
21st Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps (Yeoman Rifles) and 10th (Service) Battalion Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment

Date of birth: 4th November 1886
Date of death: 1st January 1936

Died aged 49
Unknown
Claude Guy Leatham was born at "Red House", Wentbridge, Audlin in Yorkshire on the 4th of November 1886 the eldest son of Claude Leatham, Deputy Lieutenant for the West Riding of Yorkshire, and Mary Elizabeth Gurney "May" (nee Barclay) Leatham of "Red House", Wentbridge near Pontefract.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until April 1898, leaving due to an illness he contracted following an operation. On leaving the school the school magazine wrote of him: - " Had to endure an operation during the holidays, in consequence of which he was ordered to go to a seaside school. He was too young to have made his mark except as an enthusiastic natural historian."

He was sent to a school near the sea side for his health. He went on to Charterhouse School where he was in Girdlestoneites from September 1900 to July 1905. He later went on to Trinity Hall Cambridge where he studied mathematics.

On leaving university he was articled in London before being admitted as a solicitor in November 1911 and moved north to work for his father's firm, Claude Latham and Co of West Riding Court House, Pontefract with offices at 2, Chancery Lane, Wakefield and at Castleford.

In 1907 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, in the Yorkshire Dragoon Guards (Queen's Own) Imperial Yeomanry and served with them until he resigned his commission on the 8th of April 1914 due to the commitments of running the family business following the death of his father.

Following the outbreak of war he applied for a commission with a Territorial Army Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment in order to serve at a prisoner of war camp at Lofthouse Park, Wakefield and by December 1914 he was Commandant of the Pontefract Athlete's Volunteer Training Force. He withdrew his application for the Territorials and instead applied for a commission in the 21st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps on the 30th of September 1915. He underwent a medical examination at Pontefract on the 21st of October 1915 where it was recorded that he was five feet eleven inches tall and that he weighed 154lbs. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the battalion on the 25th of October 1915 and reported to the School of Instruction at Imperial Hydro House, York on the same day. He embarked for France with his battalion from Southampton on board the SS Marguerite at 7pm on the 5th of May 1916 and disembarked at Le Havre at 8.30am the following morning.

He was awarded the Military Cross in the King's Birthday Honours List of the 4th of June 1917. In March 1918 his battalion was disbanded as part of the reorganisation of the army and, on the 16th of March 1918, he was transferred to the 10th Battalion Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment with the rank of Lieutenant with seniority from the 24th of November 1915 and joined the staff of 124th Infantry Brigade on the same day. He was promoted to temporary Captain on the 9th of July 1918.

While still attached to Brigade Headquarters, he was wounded in the leg by a gunshot on the 3rd of August 1918 and was evacuated firstly to 140 Field Ambulance and then to 138 Field Ambulance before being admitted to hospital on the 6th of August. He was appointed as Intelligence Officer to 124th Infantry Brigade on the 28th of August 1918 and, on the same day, went on special leave to England until the 24th of September 1918. A Bar to his Military Cross was announced in the London Gazette of the 16th of September 1918. His leave was extended when he was admitted to hospital from the 25th of September to the 12th of October 1918.

A Medical Board was convened at the Norfolk War Hospital, Norwich on the 14th of October 1918 to report on his condition: -

"This officer was on short leave from France and was admitted here on 24.9.18 owing to inflammation of connective tissue in groin and legs possibly originating from incompletely healed wound. he is recommended for 3 weeks leave and is ordered to join 3rd RW Surreys at Sittingbourne on 4/11/18. Rail Warrant issued."

He embarked for France for service as an Aide de Camp to the staff of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Morland KCB KCMG, Commanding Officer of XIII Corps on the 19th of October 1918 and took up his new post on the 21st of October 1918.
He was demobilised at Folkestone on the 1st of March 1919 and resigned his commission on the 3rd of March 1919, retaining the rank of Captain. He was wounded twice and was mentioned in despatches during the war, serving in both France and Italy.

After the war he returned to practice as a solicitor at his old firm and lived at "The Red House", Wentbridge near Pontefract. He also later served as Clerk to the Pontefract West Riding Magistrates. He served as a director of the Alliance Insurance Company and was a member of the Badsworth Hunt and served on their committee. He also won their point to point meeting on seven or eight occasions. In 1933 he was thrown from his horse while exercising it and lay unconscious for hours on frozen ground. He was seriously ill for many months and never completely recovered. He never married.

He died at St Thomas' Nursing Home in London and his funeral took place at Wentbridge on the 4th of April 1936.
Went on to Charterhouse School

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