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Leslie Carter

Leslie Carter 1896 to 1915

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It would not seem right to be doing all this work on our Family History without mentioning Leslie Carter. Leslie was the Third son Born to Amos and Alice Carter. He was born in Buxted, West Sussex in 1896.
We do not know much about his early Childhood but he probably moved around the countryside with his family as his Dad was a farm bailiff. At he outbreak of the First World War he joined the Army with his Brother Harold. They both joined the West Sussex Regiment although they were in different Battalion's. Leslie joined up on September 1st 1914. The pictures of below are of him in Uniform with some of his colleagues.

Leslie on the left

Leslie is bottom right
Leslie was Tragically Killed in action on May 9th 1915. He was just 19 years old and had only been in the army for 8 months.
In the course of my research I contacted the records office at Chichester to find out if they had any records of Harold being in the Royal Sussex Regiment. The following was a letter that I received back from them.
Dear Mr Carter,
I can find L10469 Private Leslie Carter, 2nd Battalion, born Buxted,enlisted Worthing,embarked for the Western Front 9th February 1915, declared missing, subsequently killed in action,Aubers Ridge, 9th May 1915,aged 19,son of the late Amos Carter of Holmbush Cottages, Findon,named on the Findon parish church war memorial and on the Memorial Panels in the regimental Chapel in Chichester Cathedral.
The picture below is a postcard on which is written some very moving words. These words were probably written by either his Mother or his Aunt. Some of the words may have been written later by his Sister Gladys.
        
The words that are written on the card are as follows. From left
Leslie Carter
enlisted Sept 1st 1944 . Killed in Action in France May 9th 1915 Age 19 years.
Armistice signed Nov11th 1918. Peace signed June 28th 1919.
"Not gone from memory nor from love,but gone to a father home above". "the path of duty was the way to glory"
 
 
Leslie was buried at LE TOURET MEMORIAL in France. The cemetery where he is buried is on this link to the Commonwealth War graves Commission.
Other links are Royal Sussex Regiment where they have their remembrance plaques in the Regimental Chapel of St. George
in Chichester Cathedral.
Leslie also has a Plaque commemorating him at Findon Church in West Sussex
Finally below is a copy of the letter sent from Buckingham Palace to Amos Carter.

Letter To Amos from the King