Arnold Leese PRO Letter

Telephone 0181-573 3831 ext

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE cs(RM)2b

Bourne Avenue Hayes Middlesex UB3 1RF

319

Mr A Baron

93C Venner Road

Sydenham

London

SE26 5HU

Your reference

Our reference

Date

95/41342/CS(RM)2b/3

VO January 1996

Dear Mr Baron

Ref: Captain Arnold Spencer LEESE - Royal Army Veterinary Corps

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the above named.

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We have located the relevant military service documents, but unfortunately it holds
an extremely meagre amount of information.

It was customary during the inter-war period and particularly during the 1930s to
'weed 1 officers personal files and extract from them documents not considered
necessary for retention.

This was instigated mainly to save storage space due to the large numbers of files
and documents held. Over the passage of time and because of numerous weeds many
files were destroyed or very depleted, as in this case.

However the following information has been gleaned from the record:

Born at Lytham, Lancashire 16.11.1878

Served as a Veterinary Officer (Camel Specialist) for Government of East Africa
Protectorate

Granted temporary rank of Captain whilst serving in East Africa

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Corps 11.01.15

Promoted Captain 15.09.15

Released 20.03.19

Relinquished his commission on completion of service 20.03.19

Sentenced to six months imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court by Mr Justice
Greaves-Lord on the 21 September 1936.
Found guilty of:

1) Conspiring with Walter Whitehead and others to print and publish scandalous and
libellous statements concerning his majesty's subjects of the Jewish faith.

2) Effecting a public mischief. The offence for which he was found guilty and
sentenced arose through the printing in "The Fascist", the news journal of a body
called the Imperial Fascist League, of attacks on the Jews.

Recycled Paper

Medals: For this information if required apply to Army Medal Office , Worcester Road,
Droitwich, Worcestershire WR9 8AU.

You are advised that military service documents are of a purely administrative
nature and do not therefore contain detailed information regarding the exact
locations and movements of individual servicemen or units.

Information of this nature may be available from the Commanders War Diaries which
are held by the Public Record Office, Ruskin Avenue, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU.

It must be noted that as the Public Record Office does not carry out searches on
behalf of the public it is necessary to visit in person. If visiting Kew for the
first time you must take with you some proof of identity eg. a driving licence or
banker's card. If you are not a citizen of the UK or Eire you will be required to
show your passport. If you are unable to visit in person, or arrange for someone to
do so on your behalf, you can employ an independent researcher. Details of these
may be obtained from the Search Department at Kew.

Information of the regiment itself may be held by the Imperial War Museum at Lambeth
Road, London SE1 6HZ. If you wish to view a particular regimental history an
appointment is necessary and should be booked at least 24 hours in advance.
Appointments can be made by telephoning 0171 416 5342.

Some regimental histories have been published and may either be held by your local
library or obtained through their inter-library loan scheme.

Yours sincerely

L F HEARN (Miss)

for Departmental Record Officer