Private John Hillyard Leech (known as “Hillyard” or “Hill”) was born in Lansdowne, Ontario, on April 4, 1866, to parents John Leech and Sarah Webster Leech (née Moles). The family moved to Manitoba in 1879, settling in Brandon in 1882. In 1885 Leech served with the Winnipeg Battalion Light Infantry during the North West Rebellion. A graduate of the University of Manitoba, he was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1892. He soon joined his brother, Ernest Tennyson Leech, and two other colleagues to found the Winnipeg law firm of Leech, Leech, Sutton & Hamilton.
Married to Ida Laura Allin on July 5, 1888, the couple had two sons and one daughter: Hart, Vernon Mayne, and Eurith Hillida. Following the outbreak of WWI, their oldest son Hart was commissioned in June 1915. Lieut. Hart Leech was killed in action September 16, 1916, at Mouquet Farm (part of the Battle of Somme) with the 61st Battalion.
Fifteen months after the death of his son, on January 5, 1918, Leech managed to get himself enlisted as a Private with Winnipeg’s No. 10 Engineer & Railway Construction Recruiting Depot. He served with the Recruiting Depot for just over seven months before being discharged due to poor health.
Content notes:
The collection documents Hillyard Leech’s efforts to gather information about the death of his son Hart Leech. Correspondents such as Major General Sir Samuel Steele and Prime Minister Robert Bordon indicate that Hillyard Leech was able to make his personal appeal direct to the very highest levels, resulting in an unusual collection of formal, yet personal, military statements from soldiers who were serving in the field with Hart at the time of his death.
For additional materials relating to his son’s wartime service see CLIP’s Lieut. Hart Leech Collection.
External links:
Pte. John Hillyard Leech’s WWI service record (Serv/Reg# 2184539) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada. [Note: In order to enlist Hillyard lied about his age, giving 1874 as his year of birth.]
Also at Library and Archives Canada is a record of Leech’s service in the North West Rebellion (1885).
Lieut. Hart Leech’s service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned) can be viewed/downloaded in pdf format through Library and Archives Canada.
Record links for other letter/document writers:
Pte. Charles Billington’s service record (Serv/Reg# 151803).
Captain Walter Buchanan Caswell, MC, service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
Major Charles Fraser’s service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
Sgt. James Kirk’s service record (Serv/Reg# 108326).
Lieut. Howard James Garfield Morgan, MC, service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned).
Major General Sir Samuel Benfield Steele, KCMG, CB, MVO: Fenian Raids (1866) medal record; Red River (1870) medal record; North West Resistance (1885) medal record; South African War service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned); WWI service record (Serv/Reg# not assigned). Military service information also appears in Steele’s North West Mounted Police record.
Major Donald Williamson’s service record (Serv/Reg# unassigned)..
