Charles Lawrence Leeds

Charles Lawrence Leeds was one year old when he arrived in Auckland the oldest Son of Charles Edward Leeds and his Wife Millicent Leeds nee Lawrence. We find on the 1890 census that the family is living on Tongue Farm, Matakana. Their land holding stretched from the Matakana River over the hill and down to the end of Point Wells. During his early life Charles attends Matakana Primary School and his family was very active in the Matakana community. His father Charles, an English solicitor shows an active interest in the governance of the Matakana Parish. At the age of 16 he joined and served with the Rodney Mounted Rifles until the family left the district in 1905. Unfortunately in 1912 his father dies as a result of shock due to serious burns he received when his night grown caught fire from a candle. By this time he is working as a farm hand in Auckland, location unknown. The 1914 census finds Charles in Waihi working for the Waihi Gold Mining Company. Then in May 1915 he enlisted for the First World War and is assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion A company – he is 28 years old. Soon after arriving in France he is assigned to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Corp due to his mining experience. During his time with the Australian Tunnellers he would have been part of the preparations for the Battle of Messines, which began with the detonation of 19 mines beneath the German front position, which devastated the German front line defences and left 19 large craters still visible today. However in late November 1917 he is transferred back to his original unit – 1st Battalion. By the end of 1917 Charles has witnessed some of the worst battles of the Western Front - Battle of the Somme; - Battle of the Aisne; - Battle of Messines; - Battle of Passchendaele. Unfortunately after the Third Battle of the Aisne that cost New Zealand 2,400 casualties including 500 dead he was killed during the German effort to take the River Aisne – May 30th 1918. Charles is laid to rest in the Hebuterne Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France and is remember at his family memorial in the Waikumete Cemetery and the Matakana War Memorial - Lest we forget.