CAIRNS, Leslie George
| Service Number: | 5072 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 31 January 1916, Bendigo, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 59th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Eaglehawk, Victoria, February 1894 |
| Home Town: | Eaglehawk, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Died of Illness, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia, Belgium, 20 September 1917 |
| Cemetery: |
Eaglehawk Cemetery, Victoria Eaglehawk Civil Cemetery, Eaglehawk, Victoria, Australia, Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5072, 6th Infantry Battalion, Bendigo, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Apr 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5072, 6th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Suffolk embarkation_ship_number: A23 public_note: '' | |
| 1 Apr 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 5072, 6th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suffolk, Melbourne | |
| 30 May 1917: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 5072, 59th Infantry Battalion |
Last Post Ceremony AWM
The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (5072) Private Leslie George Cairns, 59th Battalion (Infantry), First World War
17 October 2013
http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/PAFU2013%2F089.01/
Submitted 6 March 2016 by Rod Cairns
Biography
"DIED OF ILLNESS. PRIVATE L. G. CAIRNS.
News of the death of Private Leslie Geo. Cairns, son of Mr. George Cairns, of Fry-street, Eaglehawk, was received in the borough yesterday. Private Cairns embarked with the 16th reinforcements of the 6th Battalion on 1st April. 1916, but shortly after leaving Port Melbourne he was seized with illness, which was subsequently diagnosed as pleurisy and on arrival in Egypt was admitted to hospital, where he was treated for 10 weeks. He was then transferred to England, and recovered sufficiently to resume training on Salisbury Plain. Two months later he was sent to France, but was seized with another attack of pleurisy, and was compelled to return to England. After receiving treatment for some time he was declared to be unfit for active service and was invalided home. He returned to Melbourne about 8th April last, and was immediately taken to the Caulfield Military Hospital, where he remained until his death. The deceased was well-known in the borough, and was very popular amongst a large number of friends. He was a keen sportsman, and for some time played football with the California Gully Junior Football team. He also took an interest in the meetings of the various gun clubs in the district. Prior to leaving Eaglehawk he worked as a miner in several of the mines in the borough. His remains will be brought to Eaglehawk to-day, and he will be buried with military honors in the Eaglehawk Cemetery to-morrow afternoon. His brother, Private James Cairns, who served in Gallipoli and France, and was wounded in both places, is at present in Melbourne." - from the Bendigo Advertiser 21 Sep 1917 (nla.gov.au)
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