Geoffrey Leeming

When Geoff was 18 years old, he volunteered for the British Army in the West Yorkshire Regiment.  He received basic military training at the Fulford Barracks, and was quickly posted to Coastal Defenses.  He was transferred to the East Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion of the 8th brigade, where he received assault division training in Scotland in preparation of the D-Day landings.  On June 4th, 1944 the troops were loaded into the Empire Battalax….a New Liberty Ship, and on June 6th, A & B companies boarded their landing craft for the first wave of assault on Sword Beach as part of Operation Overlord.  They landed at low tide….amidst shells bursting, bullets cracking; barbed wire, facing pillboxes and Germans solidly entrenched along the shore.  His regiment continued to move inland, facing intense fighting at the Chateau De La Londe……and working their way up the River Orne.  He served for quite some time in Europe….moving further in land all the way to Belgium and Holland, and was in Holland during the winter of 1944 / 1945.  He furthered into Germany, and finished out the war in Bremen.   

Geoff continued in service in the Middle East until September 1946, and was discharged from Reserve Liability June 30, 1959.

We Will Remember Them