Leslie Sidney Duck

Sergeant, London Regiment (1^st Surrey Rifles)

Leslie Sidney Duck lived at 237 Brockley Road, Brockley and was a student at Alleyn’s until 1906. He joined the war effort shortly after the outbreak of war as part of the London Regiment (1^st Surrey Rifles) and served as a Sergeant overseas on the Western Front. In 1916, he was serving near Vimy when the German Army launched an offensive that ended up capturing the British frontline. The 1^st Surrey Rifles were part of the counterattacking forces sent to recapture this lost ground on May 23^rd 1916. Unfortunately, the counterattack was a failure and the ground lost at Vimy would remain in German hands until the Canadian corps finally recaptured it in April 1917. It was during this fierce counterattack that was Leslie was killed in action on May 23^rd 1916. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial.