Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Len was born at Denial Bay SA on 29 Mar 1896 to James Dodd and Annie Maria Dodd (nee Wharff).  There were 8 children in the family, 2 boys and 6 girls.  His father was a farmer at Wallanippie S.A. (near Smoky Bay: in fact it was also the original name of Smoky Bay).

Len started school at Streaky Bay in 1901, staying with the Wharff family, the family of his mother.   He left at an early age, which was fairly common for the time, and went to work on the family farm: he also rode the dog fence to assist with an income.  He continued in this employ until his enlistment in the Army for World War 1 on 1 Mar 1916.

On enlistment in Adelaide, Len was posted to Base Light Horse, then 2nd Depot Battalion (Bn), before being transferred to 6th Re-enforcements/32nd Bn and embarked for Egypt.  During the journey he contracted measles and was sent to hospital on arrival at Suez.  On release from hospital he returned to his unit which was then dispatched to France in Jun 1916, destined for the Western Front. 

On 19 Jul 1916, after only 3 days in the trenches, his unit was involved in their first major battle at Fromelles.  This was a disaster for the battalion, which suffered 718 casualties – 75% of its strength or 90% of its total fighting strength; unfortunately Len was one of these casualties, suffering gun shot wounds to his face, thighs and legs.  He was evacuated to Havre (France) and embarked on the hospital ship “Warialda” for England and admitted to 3rd Army General Hospital (Brighton, UK), where he remained until 24 Apr 17.  After retraining he returned to his unit on 26 Oct 1917, but again was injured, this time as a result of a troop train accident, and shipped to hospital in Havre on 16 Dec 1917.  Here he contracted Bronchitis and was evacuated to hospital in England where he was declared medically unfit on 18 Jan 1918 and returned to Australia for medical discharge: his discharge was affected on 31 May 1918

After discharge he took up a “soldier settler’s block” at Nunjikompita, which he and his brother farmed.  On 30 Jun 1926 Len married Alma Maria Dunn at the Carawa Hall (near Nunjikompita): they had a family of 8 children, 3 girls and 5 boys.  Farming must have been good and married life agreeable because he then purchased more land in the same area and continued farming in this area until the outbreak of WW2, when he again enlisted in the Army on 20 Dec 1940.

The fact that he had previously been discharged as medically unfit seems to have been forgotten, although his papers were marked as “unfit for service outside of Australia”.  He was posted to 4th Water & Power Supply Company, Royal Australian Engineers (a Militia unit) as a Sapper (Private).  This unit remained in Australia throughout the war, based mainly in S.A and Darwin (N.T.)

At the completion of his WW2 service, Len moved to Smoky Bay and purchased a sheep grazing property.  Unfortunately his health was poor as a result of his war service and he needed much family assistance in the running of this property, but it was during a time of high wool prices, so it was not all bad news.  He remained on the property until his death on 30 May 1958, at the age of 62, as a result of his war injuries.  He is buried in the Ceduna Cemetery.

His wife succeeded him by only a few years, passing on 10 Jul 1964.  She is buried beside her husband.