- Son of William and Mary Tyson, of The Redding, The Hill, Millom
- Private, 26651 1st/4th Battalion King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment
- Killed 20th September 1917, aged 19.
- Buried at Bedford House Cemetery, Enclosure No.4 XIII. A. 5. Belgium
- Commemorated on the Millom Civic War Memorial and also on his parents headstone at the Church of Christ, Wall End, Kirkby.
The Barrow News 6 October 1917 reported:
MILLOM SOLDIER KILLED IN ACTION
Mr. and Mrs. Tyson, Redding Farm, The Hill, Millom, have received word that their son, Signaller Leslie Tyson, has been killed in action. He served his apprenticeship as a chemist with Mr. Dixon, of Millom, and enlisted twelve months ago and had been at the front three months. He was 19 years of age and was well known and respected in the town.
In
Loving memory of
WILLIAM
BELOVED HUSBAND OF
MARY TYSON
THE REDDING, MILLOM.
WHO DIED APRIL 15TH 1919,
AGED 61 YEARS.
ALSO MARY, WIFE OF THE ABOVE
WHO DIED JULY 9TH 1939,
AGED 74 YEARS.
ALSO LESLIE, SON OF THE ABOVE
WHO WAS KILLED AT YPRES
SEPTR 20TH 1917, AGED 19 YEARS
The Concentration of Graves record for Leslie Tyson gives the means of identification as “Spoon”. Many British soldiers stamped or scratched their unique service numbers onto the backs of their issued metal spoons to prevent loss or theft. These were sometimes used as the only means of identification of a recovered body.
Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium (Photo from Commonwealth War Graves Commission website)
The Tyson name is very familiar to the Kirkby area. Leslie’s father was born in Gawthwaite (circa 1858 and listed his occupation as Butcher and later Farmer in the Millom area) and his grandfather, James Tyson, was recorded as a Butcher in Soutergate (1871 census). Leslie’s Uncle gave rise to the branch of the family leading to the Melville Tyson butchers in Broughton who are still currently trading.
Leslie’s parents are recorded on the 1911 census (and on the family gravestone) as living at The Redding, The Hill, Millom (later known as The Ridding, a large period property dating back to the late 1700’s).
In later Commonwealth War Graves records the next of kin is shown as Mrs Mary Tyson (presumably widowed by then) at No. 3 Bay View, Millom. (Picture: Google street view)
With many thanks to Rod White for additional research on the Tyson family.