Add Information to Record of a Person who served during the Second World War on The Wartime Memories Project Website

209573 Sgt. Nigel Gray Leakey VC. British Colonial Army 1/6th Battalion King's African Rifles from:Kenya (d.19th May 1941) Nigel Gray Leakey was born on 1st od January 1913 in Kiganjo, Kenya,he was 28 years old, and a sergeant in the 1/6th Battalion, King's African Rifles during the Second World War when he was awarded the VC. "On 19 May 1941 at Kolito, Abyssinia, when the Allied forces had made a bridgehead against the strong Italian opposition, the enemy made a sudden counter attack with both light and medium tanks. In the face of withering fire, Sergeant Leakey leaped on top of one of the tanks, wrenched open the turret and shot all the crew except the driver, whom he forced to drive the tank to cover. Along with three others, he tried to repeat this with another tank, but just as he opened the turret, he was killed. The confusion and loss of armour Leakey caused was critical to the Italian defeat in the battle. Captain David Hines witnessed the event through binoculars, as did other soldiers." Leakey has no known grave and is commemorated on the East Africa Memorial, near Nairobi, Kenya. Please type your message:      We recommend you copy the text about this item and keep a copy on your own computer before pressing submit. Your Name:             Email Address:       @ **Please type the first part our your email in the first box (eg. john.smith) the @ sign is added automaticallly, please type the second part in the second box (eg. gmail.com). Do not enter your full email in each box or add an @ sign or random spaces.** Please type in the code shown here:    If you are unable to read the code please click here. If you have received an error message for incorrect code, please click to refresh the code before resending. This should overcome the error message.