Harold James Leech

A Lance Corporal with 18 Line of Communications Signals, Harold died on 2nd of May 1945 aged 31. 

Harold was born at Oulton Broad in 1913, a son of Frederick and Lucy Mary Leech. In 1921 his family lived at 43 Southwell Road.  

On 10 October 1936 Harold married Irene Rhoda Wright at Saint Margaret’s Church. Harold was a carter living at 49 Cambridge Road and Irene was a beatster living at 51 Edinburgh Road. By 1939 their home was at 39 Edinburgh Road. 

Harold enlisted in the Suffolk Regiment and was subsequently transferred to the Royal Corps of Signals and he served with the 18th Line of Communications Signals unit. 

Harold served in North Africa and Italy before serving in Greece. Harold was on board the Greek minesweeper Spercheios which was being used as a ferry. The Sperchios sailed from Piraeus at 5 p.m. on 2 May, bound for Aegean islands. The ship was overloaded with military and civilians and carried twice as many passengers as recommended. Apparently heading toward a minefield, the ship steered sharply to starboard, banked to the left, and capsized very quickly with no time to send a distress signal. There were no ships nearby and rescue efforts came too late for many. Of the 136 people on board 98 lost their lives.