The family history research is by Doug Laycock, nephew of Nathan Douglas Teale, and Dr J N D Laycock, Doug’s son and Nathans great nephew.
Private 14948, Nathan Douglas Teale, Born 16th Nov 1893, killed in action 14th Sept 1916. On the Army Statement of Services Form is written “died on or since 14-9-1916”. We believe his death was around 
6:30-7:30 on the morning of 15th Sept 1916 at Ginchy, during the assault towards Lesboeufs (Battle of Flers-Courcelette). This was the first battle to involve tanks.
On his parent’s headstone in Garforth cemetery, his death is recorded as 15-9-1916. It must be remembered that in the heat of battle and after, Officers recording the missing and dead would not have been able to keep a 100% accurate record. Accounts were taken from the eyewitness reports of Officers and NCO’s after the battles, and may have been written days later, therefore discrepancies do arise. All but one officer and many NCO’s were casualties in this day’s battle.
We believe the headstone on his parents’ grave in Garforth Cemetery was erected during 1930/31, and therefore inscribed at that time. Photographic records of the grave in the early months of 1930 show an absence of the headstone. Nathans mother died on the 9th February 1930, so sometime between Nathans burial in France, which may have been during October 1920, (the headstone there records his death as 14-9-1916), and 1930/31, there may have been some official evidence that Nathan was killed on the 15-9-1916, but this has yet to come to light.
Education:-
Garforth Colliery School, East Garforth
Garforth Council School, Barleyhill Road, Garforth. His was one of the first names on the school Roll of Honours board, which was in the main hall. The date was, if I remember correctly, 1905.
Leeds Boys Modern School (1906-1911)
City of Leeds Training College, 1911 (Teacher training)
Occupation:-
Teacher
Appointed Assistant Headmaster at St Hidas’ School, Cross Green, Leeds, in July 1914.
Army Service:-
19-1-1915 Conscripted-Joined Coldstream Guards (4th Battalion?)-signed up in Leeds.
12-8-1915 Posted ‘Home’ (5th Battalion?) Caterham, Surrey.
21-12-1915 Entry into Theatre of War, Expeditionary Force (France). (2nd Battalion)-Billets. La Gorgue, Northern France.
26-12-1915 Trenches, Vieille-Chapelle
Various Trenches and Billets in Northern France till:-
11-2-1916 At a point between Merville and La Gorgue. Inspected by Kitchener.
16-2-1916 Billets, C Camp, 2 miles west of Poperinge, Belgium.
25-2-1916 Camp, Calais (via Cassel on the train) Northern France.
5-3-1916 Billets, Wormhout (Via Cassel, on the train) Northern France.
15-3-1916 Billets, Poperinge, Belgium.
In Belgium, Billets, Trenches and Dug-outs fighting etc to 28-7-1916.
5-5-1916 Nathans No 10 Platoon, No 3 Coy, 2nd Battalion were engaged in night-time operations installing barbed wire defences near St Jean. Motor buses took the Platoon to the outskirts of the town; they make their way to the front under shellfire which continues through all their work, at day-break the buses are waiting to take them back to the billets (Poperinge B Camp?) From a letter to Nathans sister Lucy, dated 8-5-1916.
30-7-1916 Billets, Neuvillette, Somme.
16-8-1916 Trenches, Serre. Approximately at the site of the Sheffield Park Memorial.
20-8-1916 to 25-8-1916 Billets in Beauval, Montonvillers, & Meaulte.
11 to 13-9-1916 Dug-outs, Carnoy, Somme.
14-9-1916 Trenches, Ginchy. At 8pm the Battalion moved up to Ginchy taking over the trenches from 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards, this was accomplished by midnight
15-9-1916 Assault from Ginchy towards Lesboeufs. 6:30am the Battalion advanced, and on emerging from Ginchy Wood came under heavy machine gun and rifle fire, casualties were heavy. The probability is that around 6:30-7:30am, Nathan Douglas was killed by machine-gun fire along with approx 450 others. (An action in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette)
His body was buried in a temporary grave in the village of Ginchy. (Guards Burial Ground in the village of Ginchy)
After the war, probably 1920, his body was moved to The Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs.
Army records show that Nathan served for 1 year 239 days.
He was awarded: – 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. These were received by his mother Jane Teale on 10th April 1920 (Star) and 14 July 1921 (British War Medal and Victory Medal). “Granted in respect of the service of 14948”
His Memorials:-
Guards’ Cemetery, Lesboeufs. Grave Ref. XIII.L. 4. States he was killed 14-9-1916.
His mother Jane Teale, had the words “LO, THE WINTER IS PASSED” inscribed on the headstone.
The War Memorial in Garforth Saint Marys’ Church.
A memorial on his father and mother’s grave in Garforth Cemetery. States he was killed 15-9-1916.
A Plaque to commemorate Leeds teachers who died during World War One. 2, Great George Street, Leeds. (Benefits office of the council buildings)
Family:-
Father- Thomas Teale B 1859 D 1914 M 1883 Colliery Engine Winding Man (Clapham pit, Isabella Pit)
Mother- Jane Dixon B 1862 D 1930 M 1883 Housewife
Brothers and sisters:-
Hannah Teale B 1884 D 1944 Married Percy Wrigglesworth. Landlord of the Gascoigne Arms
John Richard Teale B 1886 D ? Engineer
Thomas Henry Teale B 1887 D 1954 Cabinet Maker. Served in the army WW1 (1916-19?)
Wilfred Dixon Teale B 1889 D ? Engineer
Lucy Teale B 1891 D 1975 Housekeeper/cook, Housewife
David Clifford Teale B 1896 D ? Blacksmith
Robert Garnet Teale B 1898 D 1953 Colliery Engineer (Garforth Collieries, Engineer-in-charge at Barnbow Colliery, Malayan Collieries, Batu Arang, Selangor)
Gilbert Baden Teale B 1900 D 1968 I believe he worked for Leeds Gas Works (Engineer/Manager) Served in the Navy 1918/19??
Sidney Cecil Teale B 1902 D 1971 Engineer (John Fowlers etc)
Lilian B 1903 D 1978 Housewife M 18th Feb.1934 G R Laycock
Dorothy Elizabeth Teale B 1905 D 1981 Secretary, housewife
Kate Teale B 1906 D 1907
The above birth dates are taken from Thomas Teale’s Bible.
