Leon O’Meara was killed in action on this day in 1917
Leon was born in Camberley, Surrey in 1898. He was the only son of Major Walter O’Meara and Annie O'Meara of 11 Talgarth Road, West Kensington. His father was a former Barrister.
Educated at St. Edward’s Oxford, Leon was - for four years - a member of the Officers Training Corps and intended entering Pembroke College, Oxford in the autumn of 1916 to study engineering.
He enlisted the Artists’ Rifles on 9 January 1916 obtaining a commission in the 3rd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment in August.
Leon served with the Indian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia from October 1916 with the 6th Battalion of his regiment.
He was killed in action west of Kut on 6 Feb 1917. He was 19 years of age. Leion was buried in on the banks of the River Tigris and is remembered on the Basra Memorial. The memorial was moved in 1992 into the desert from the banks of the Shat Al-Arab River by Sadham Hussein.
2nd Lieut Leon Alfred O’Meara 6th (Service) Bn The East Lancashire Regiment
6 February 1917 killed in action.
Research by Jonathan Vernon
Sources: Du Ruvigny’s Roll of Honour, Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligenser