Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of John Ferguson BURLEY

From In Memory Of

In Memory Of 2nd Lieutenant Leslie James Burley, 3rd Battalion.

He was a bank clerk from North Ryde, New South Wales, with 18 months service in the 18th Infantry prior to enlistment.

He embarked from Sydney on the 11th of February 1915 aboard HMAT Seang Choon for Egypt.

Lieutenant Burley joined his battalion at Gallipoli and not long after was wounded in action on the 19th of May 1915 at Quinn's Post. He died of these wounds the following day on board a hospital ship and was buried at sea.

Lieutenant Burley was aged 23 years.

The 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea during the Gallipoli Campaign are commemorated in the Lone Pine Memorial on Gallipoli.

Lest We Forget.

Photograph and most of the information came from the Australian War Memorial. Image file number AWM H06412.

Lesley James Burley enlisted on 22 December 1914, stating he was from North Ryde, Sydney and was a Clerk employed by The Commonwealth Bank. He was an Acting Captain in the 18th Battalion at Sydney with some 18 months service.

He embarked with 3rd Battalion in February 1915 and was wounded at Quinn's Post, Gallipoli on 19 May 1915 . He had written to his parents in Sydney, the letter being published posthumously in the Sydney Evening News.

“ The Trenches Gallipoli, May 8, 1915— I came ashore last Monday, 3rd, and since have been very busy. I have managed to get five hours sleep out of five days (5 hours out of 120) but still do not feel very sleepy, as the general excitement for the first few days makes one forget sleep. Our boys here are doing great work, and are making history for Australia.

Every morning the Turks shell our trenches, sometimes accounting for one or two, and sometimes missing altogether. It is marvellous how soon one gets used to bursting shell, even if it is within a few yards of one.

I have had some narrow escapes but last night was the best of all. We were coming up the communication trench, when with a deafening roar a shrapnel burst within a few yards, throwing a host of bullets and pieces of shell forward. One piece about the size of my head embedded itself in the side of the trench not six inches above my back as I was moving along the trench and covering me with earth. Had I been standing upright it would have been the last — but you see, I was not made to be killed.

The weather here is glorious — perfect— ever since our arrival. I often laugh when in the trenches, and hear the remarks one man will make when a Turk has put his head up over his trench, and managed to get it down before the man observing has been able to fire at him. All my friends have been in the thick of it since April 25 and strange to say not one has been hit.

Captain M__ and H__ are doing good work and quite well. When Lieutenant S__and I joined the battalion we left most of the men at Abbasia, Egypt, and afterwards fighting news came to them that I had been killed (they were all so surprised to see me alive when reaching here) and S__ had died of wounds.

We were both liked very much by the company, I understand, and the men swore awfully when they heard of it, and were going to avenge our loss, but as luck would have it, it was only a rumor, and we are both well and hearty, and hope to remain so.

I don't think our friends the enemy will ever frighten our boys. They treat it very much like a football rush when ordered forward, and then the enemy goes backward.”

He succumbed to his wounds on a hospital ship off Gallipoli on 20 May 1915, aged 23 years and was buried at sea.