Leggatt, EG

2nd Lieutenant Eric Gerard Leggatt

Born on June 15^th 1897, Eric was the only son of surgeon Gerard Leggatt and his wife Alice. He joined Dulwich in the spring of 1904 and remained at the College for the next four and a half years, leaving at the end of 1908, at which point he was in the Science Remove. During his time he distinguished himself as a sportsman and all-around athlete, spending two years in the Gymnastics VI, being a member of both the 2^nd XV and the cricket 3^rd XI in his final year, and also representing the College as a Featherweight in the Public Schools Boxing Championship at Aldershot; as if this was not enough he also qualified for the All England Championships in diving. After leaving he spent a year in the City before, in 1910, moving out to the Malay States. He spent four years working on a rubber plantation, before taking over management of the Kuala Kubu estate in 1914.

In March 1915 Eric returned to England to sign up for military service and took up a commission in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, with whom he went over to France for the first time that August. He was posted in the Ypres salient for almost a year before being moved to the Somme in May 1916. It was whilst serving there that he was killed, whilst leading a night bombing raid at Longueval on July 14^th. He was survived by his widow, Isola.