The Lucky

This is the pencil of Lt. Leslie March which was donated to Yard O Led by his step brother, Mr Kelly, who remembers him as ‘my hero’.

Lt. March was one of the first to volunteer joining the Royal Artillery as a private (No: 190734) and was commissioned in June 1941. He wanted to be in the Infantry and transferred, as a Lieutenant, to the Cameron Highlanders in 1942. It was while serving with them that he took the bullet which was 'stopped' by his YARD-O-LED pencil that had been given to him by his wife Margaret, it saved his life. From then on it went everywhere with him, as his lucky charm. At the end of 1943 he volunteered for the Commandos being formed by Lord Lovat, by then he was an acting Captain and Adjutant.

In 1944 he landed on the Normandy Beaches on D-Day plus 1 and on the following day were digging in he was inspecting the trenches he was hit by a shell and killed instantly.

He was 23 when he sadly died and we are proud to be relaunching this model in his name.