ROY BALFOUR HODGSON RAYNER

RANK: 2nd Lieutenant.

REGIMENT: 15th Bn.West Yorkshire Regiment(Prince of Wales's Own)(Leeds Pals)

BORN: Leeds.

ENLISTED:Leeds.

GAVE HIS LIFE: 24/05/1916.

AGED: 25.

CEMETERY: Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension
south-west of the town of Doullens France.

GRAVE /PANEL : I. D. 10.

LEEDS MODERN: Unknown.

Roy lies in peace in the Gezaincourt Communal Cemetery Extension

Roy left Leeds Modern to go to Leeds Grammer school, and went into the textile business on leaving that school. When war broke out Roy enlisted into the 15th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Leeds pals and obtained his commission of 2nd Lieutenant in "B" Company.

He trained with the Battalion at Colsterdale and salisbury and in December 1915 went to Egypt, and on to France in early 1916.

Sydney was one of the first Leeds Pals officers to give his life passing away from injuries recieved on the on the night of Monday 22nd May 1916, whilst out on patrol cutting German barbed wire.

The War Diarys of many Battalion have recently been opened for the public to buy and view online at the National Archives Office Website.


And here is a following extract from that date 22nd May 1916:

Men from Nos 7 & 8 Platoons went out with a covering party and these were attacked by a German Patrol, whose members threw bombs.

At about 10:30pm, shortly after the fight in no mans land, the German artillery opened up again and shrapnel rained down on the men who were trying to rescue the wounded members of the wiring party.