Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Father William Pepper (d.23/3/1922) and Mother Mrs Fanny Maria Pepper (nee Graetz) of 63 Gilles Street, Adelaide, South Australia.

Previous service:  Citizen Forces B Company 78th Infantry (still serving on enlistment)

Described on enlisting as 19 years 1 month old; single; 5' 7 3/4" tall; 146 lbs; fair complexion;
brown eyes; brown hair; congregational; tattoo on left forearm.

5/3/1915           completed medical at Keswick - fit for service

6/3/1915           enlisted at Keswick
                         Commanding Officer appointed Leonard to Base Depot Infantry - Oaklands

1/4/1915           transferred to 10th Infantry 6th reinforcements

23/6/1915         embarked from Adelaide on HMAT Borda A30

31/7/1915         embarked on HMT Berrima for Dardanelles, Alexandria
1/8/1915           ship sailed

4/8/1915           Taken on strength from 6th reinforcements, Gallipoli
                         into 10th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade

19/12/1915       admitted 1st Canadian Station Hospital in Mudros
                         sick with pleurisy

4/1/1916          Thrombosis Femural Vein - dangerously ill at 1st Canadian Station Hospital
                         Mudros

8/1/1916          Transferred to Cairsbrook Castle, Mudros
11/1/1916         Disembarked into Alexandria

14/1/1916        Transferred to No.17 General Hospital, Alexandria
15/1/1916         Dangerously ill
29/1/1916         Dangerously ill

Throughout WWI, in all its theatres, the unsanitary conditions of battle caused many cases of severe infection. The lengthy time before wounds could be treated and extended periods between dressings and ongoing treatments inevitably meant that many wounds led to death or severe disability through infection. Many graves in Egypt commemorate the loss of life due to septicemia.  

Private Leonard Pepper is one such case.

From the Australian Red Cross:- 
stated on 17/12/1916 by his tending nurse Sister Lulham: 

"He came in after the evacuation.  There was no definate wound, although there was something
the matter with his leg.  He had a temperature and wandered sometimes, but most of the time he
was acutely conscious. At first he was in the balcony, then was moved to the little side ward. 
He did not like being alone, and the Matron arranged for there to be a special nurse for him, so
that he was never left for a moment day or night.   He had more attention than any other patient
in the hospital.  He was always so nice and polite.  Sometimes the pain that we gave him while
shifting him made him cry out, but he always apologised afterwards.  He would often say
“give my love to Mother and the Sisters”  and kept saying he would write himself,  but was not
really strong enough.
Once he said  “Oh poor Mother, she wouldn’t like to see her Len like this” and he alluded to her
an hour before he died.

Mr Wormald, the Church of England Chalain stated:
"I was with him constantly and ministered to him, and have no doubt that he died in the faith.
I have never seen a man bare pain more splendidly - he was most cheeful, and most thought
very highly of him.  His thoughts were mostly with his people - he looked forward more than
anything to the boat, but was resigned in the end. 

He was buried with full military honours."

After weeks of pain and sickness, Private Pepper died at 2.20am on 2 February 1916, at just
19 years, from septicemia streptococcal in No.17 General Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt.

buried in:  Grave 2824
                 Chatby Military & War Memorial Cemetery - and - Chatby Memorial
                 Alexandria, Egypt

3/6/1924  the Chatby Military & War Memorial Cemetery - and - Chatby Memorial
                was rearranged

Private Pepper is now buried in: Plot E, Grave 13.

Medals:
WWI 1914/15 Star (4335); British War medal (14869); Victory medal (14811);
Memorial Plaque and Memorial Scroll (305995).

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  14 October 2014.  Lest we forget.