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Lieutenant Leslie Heywood PEERS (138269)
B Company, 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) Date of birth: 28th March 1913 Date of death: 17th March 1943 Died of wounds aged 29 Buried at Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery Plot 17 Row F Grave 5
Leslie Heywood Peers was born at Lambeth in London on the 28th of March 1913 the son of James Robinson Peers, a director of Norwood and Dulwich Dying and Cleaning Company, and Ellen Gertrude (nee Whitley) Peers, of 12 Rosendale Road, Dulwich in London. He was christened at St Emmanuel’s Church, West Dulwich on the 11th of May 1913. He was educated at Dulwich Preparatory School and at Lancing College where he was in Heads House from September 1926 to July 1930. He went on to King's College, University of London from 1930 to 1931 where he undertook a preliminary course. He went to work for his father's company at Hamilton Road, West Norwood where he was appointed as joint Managing Director. On the outbreak of war he enlisted in the army and was posted to an Officer Cadet Training Unit from which he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) on the 4th of July 1940. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 4th of January 1942. On the 15th of March 1943 the 6th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment received orders to attack enemy positions near the port of Zarzis in Tunisia. At 9pm that night they marched the three miles to the forward positions where the Company Commanders went forward to make a reconnaissance of the forward areas. At 8.15pm on the evening of the 16th of March A and B Companies approached their objectives in darkness and lay in front of a British minefield to await the supporting barrage for the attack. At 9.30pm the barrage began and sappers from the Royal Engineers began clearing gaps in the enemy minefields ahead of them. At 9.40pm heavy enemy shelling from artillery and mortars began falling which caused casualties in the leading companies. At 9.50pm the supporting barrage stopped and B Company attacked towards "considerable" machine gun and mortar fire. 10, 11 and 12 Platoons managed to pass through the gaps in the mines and take their objectives, capturing ten prisoners and killing many of the Italian defenders. Casualties among B Company were Leslie Peers and Lieutenant Smith wounded with forty other ranks killed or wounded. Leslie Peers died of his wounds later in the day. The Norwood News wrote: - "The newest four beds in the Norwood Cottage Hospital are in memory of a young soldier who fell at Mareth and whose remains lie in the sands of the African desert battlefields over which he fought with Montgomery's 8th Army from El Alamein to Tunis. The beds, two in the women's ward and two in the men's ward, are in memory of Lieut. Leslie Peers, Green Howards, 28 years old (sic) son of Mr & Mrs J.R. Peers, Alleyn Park. Fighting for a new world and sacrificing his life in the attempt, Leslie did not forget the humane concerns which had held his interest in peace time. He left money to the Norwood Cottage Hospital - out of which the beds were bought - to the Church Army, to Dr. Barnado's Homes and to other good causes. He first became interested in the hospital through his connection with the Norwood Cleaning and Carpet Treating Co. Ltd, which, until recently, had been controlled by his father for forty years. Leslie acted as joint managing director and was responsible for taking accident cases from the rim to the hospital. He was to have followed his father in the business, but owing to his death. Mr Peers senior has retired." He is commemorated on the war memorial in the chapel at King's College London.

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