Gerald was born in London but moved to Longworth Hall in the parish of Lugwardine, Herefordshire when he was young.  From his letters we can see he was a thoughtful and sensitive boy. 

We have letters from him to home at Longworth Lugwardine  and Broadlands Hereford while he was at Prep school, Public school and Army college. There is a 4 page letter describing winter at Longworth: “we have had the whole pond to ourselves (ice skating) every day….the sun has not been strong enough to thaw the hoar frost”.

He joined the army in June 1895. He fought  in the Boer War in 1900 and was quickly promoted.

He is photographed marching in front of the King and Queen and Sir Douglas Haig and his wife.

We have letters between him and his fiancée  Brenda Wadworth. They clearly loved each other but had a big difference over religion- Gerald was more orthodox than Brenda.  Brenda admitted she has been too casual about religion and agrees to support Gerald. They married in 1912. They lived at Breinton Court, Herefordshire.

By 1914 he was a well respected Captain and has switched regiments so he can be with his new wife.

In 1914 Gerald as Captain of one of Englands best regiments is ordered to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. He writes letters from Southampton before he boards the ship:

Letter from 1914 Gerald to Brenda

“You are so sweet to me in your letters and you make up a hundred times over for anything I do for you by simply being yourself and letting me love you. I love to think that you are my own darling little girl and that before very many months are passed, if all goes well, you will really belong to me and no one will be able to take you away…I trust I shall always treasure you as I ought. Your loving Gerald”

A succession of letters are sent from many parts of France and Belgium to Breinton and back and Brenda is quick to reply:

“ I do want to send you all my love my darling Gerald and I cant keep wishing I was with you just to do little things for you- you are just everything to me and I treasure your dear love nobody could have loved me more or being kinder…Mother sends her love and you know you have all mine, and do try and look after yourself”.

Gerald does some full descriptions to Brenda: “it was a triumphal progress…they were most hospitable to us. “Vive L’Angleterre” filled the air

Retreat from Mons

The British and French army are pushed back by the vast German army and there is nearly a complete rout of the British army. Gerald Lea is given much credit for organising a careful retreat rather than a haphazard one. 2 ordinary Privates have written that the regiment owes its lives to his careful and organised retreat.  

I have copies of the letters- eg 

“…I am writing to let you no how he saved our lives at Mons after 3 hard days marching we got to Mons at night and the brave Capt. had orders to take this town with the bayonet and the capt said come men and we all followed him threw the town…..our Capt. gave us orders to dig trenches and we worked together and got them done and we lay in them and the next morning the Germans opened fire with their big guns for such a long time…we thought we had dug our graves….and the Capt keep coming and saying keep down men and he then gave orders to to retire and he getting us away safe- if it had not been for the brave captain his I deers and making us dig the trenches there would not have been one who could tell the tale….we had to retire for ten days and ten nights…we had it hard and were within 16 miles of Paris…"

Death of Captain Lea-Like the majority of soldiers in WW1 Gerald was killed by a shell. He was sitting under a hedge with a colleague when a shell exploded nearby- Gerald was seriously wounded-hit by shrapnel in the head and his friend was to lose a leg. 

Just before Gerald died he asked his bat-man about Brenda:

“just before he passed away he asked me for you, so I handed him my hand and then passed away peacefully.  If I manage to return safe I will come to Hereford and explain everything to you.”

Life continues

I have copies of telegrams from the King and Queen to Breinton Court. Brenda was to give birth to a baby 2 months after the father was killed: She called the child Marigold Geraldine Lea.

Photo of mum Brenda and child and father in the photo- mother must still be grief stricken.

Stories:

1. Love relationship surrounded by religious differences and war

2. A man that inspired live from wife and privates

3. Military brilliance, trenches…retreat…stand firm

4. First Aid

5. Based on a local life with local letters (maybe 100) and photos