231202 Sgt. Leslie Charles Page MIDBritish Army 1st Battalion, 7 Platoon Middlesex Regiment from:31 Cuckoo Dene, Hanwell, London Les Page began the process of joining the British Army at Acton Drill Hall in London on the very day that WW2 broke out. His brother Laurie walked in to the the room that Les was waiting in - much to the surprise of both of them! Laurie then enlisted with the 2nd Battalion as they were concerned at the effect on their parents, sister and his fiancee if they were both to be lost in action.
Les was in the 1st Battalion, Middlesex Regiment which was attached to the the 15th Scottish Division in the latter stages of the War. He landed at Arromanches on DDay + 19 and then went from Normandy to Belgium, Holland - and eventually in to Germany.
During this period he was Platoon Sergeant of 7 Platoon - part of B Company of the 1st Battalion. His officer Lieutenant Frank Handslip was killed on the Normandy beaches on the day that they landed. In the eleven months or so before they reached Germany he had all together five officers; all except the final one Lieutenant Jimmy Stubbs M.C. were killed or injured in action - and Les spent more time in command of his Platoon then all the other five officers added together. This undoubtedly led to his award of a 'Mention in Dispatches' - personally signed by Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery.
Les' unit were expert machine gunners and mainly used Vickers Machine Guns and Bren Gun carriers. They saw a good deal of action and lost many men on the long way from northern France to Germany.
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