Leek

Alma Street, Belle Vue
3rd (Leek) Battery, 2nd North Midland Brigade RFA

Cattle Market
I Co. 1VB

The home of the 3rd (Leek) Battery, 2nd North Midland Brigade RFA, the history of which is admirably covered in the book 'Over There' by J E Blore and J R Sherratt, is listed in Kelly, 1912, as at Alma street, Belle Vue, Leek.

A contemporary picture shows the battery after mobilisation, having just left the Drill Hall in Alma Street to join the rest of the Brigade and Ammunition Column in Burton-on-Trent. They then moved to Luton where the 46th North Midland Division was concentrating before moving to France on 26th February 1915, as the first Territorial Field Artillery Brigade to join the BEF. In May 1916 the Brigade became 'C' Battery 231 Brigade RFA.

The Leek Rifle Volunteers were formed in 1859, and by 1872 had a drill room, known as the Armoury, in Ford Street. A reading room and gymnasium were added in 1877.

By 1894 the volunteers used the upper storey of a converted building in the Haywood Street cattle market.

There is also reference to I Co. 1VB at Cattle market, Leek in Kelly, 1904.