LEACH, Richard George
| Service Number: | 4230 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 November 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 1st Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Long Gully, Maldon, Victoria., July 1897 |
| Home Town: | Long Gully, Greater Bendigo, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Accidental Injuries – Fall down a bank, 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England , 29 April 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Australian War Commission Cemetery, Sutton Veny Sutton Veny (St. John) Churchyard (Plot 88, Row M, Grave No. I), Wiltshire |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 25 Nov 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4230, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Dec 1915: | Involvement Private, 4230, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Dec 1915: | Embarked Private, 4230, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Melbourne | |
| 17 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 1st Pioneer Battalion | |
| 1 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1st Pioneer Battalion |
Help us honour Richard George Leach's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 29th April.... George Richard Leach was born at Maldon, Victoria in 1897. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 27th July, 1915 as an 18 year old, single, Miner from Long Gully, Maldon, Victoria.
Private Leach embarked from Melbourne on HMAT Demosthenes (A64) on 29th December, 1915. He joined 1st Pioneer Battalion at Serapeum, Egypt on 17th March, 1916.
Private Leach embarked from Alexandria on 27th March, 1916 to join British Expeditionary Force & disembarked at Marseille, France on 3rd April, 1916.
Private Leach was appointed Lance Corporal on 1st August, 1916.
Lance Corporal Leach was attached to Anzac Corps School for duty as Lewis Gun Instructor on 20th July, 1917 & promoted to Temporary Sergeant on same day – AIF order 213. He was attached as Assisting Lewis Gun Instruction on 21st July, 1917.
Temporary Sergeant Leach was on leave to UK from 14th to 26th September, 1917.
On 27th March, 1918 Leach’s rank reverted back to Lance Corporal – Aust. Corps School.
Lance Corporal Leach rejoined his Battalion in the Field on 28th March, 1918.
Lance Corporal Leach was admitted to Field Ambulance on 20th April, 1918 with a sprained right ankle. He was transferred to Hospital at Boulogne, France then transferred to Rest Camp & rejoined his Battalion on 27th May, 1918.
Lance Corporal Leach was granted leave to UK on 6th October, 1918 & rejoined his Battalion on 14th October, 1918.
Lance Corporal Leach was reported to be with his Unit on 26th February, 1919.
Lance Corporal Leach was marched out from France for return to Australia on 10th April, 1919. He was marched out to England on 17th April, 1919 & marched in to No. 1 Group at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire on 18th April, 1919 from France.
Lance Corporal George Richard Leach was admitted & died at 12.30 a.m. on 29th April, 1919 at the 1st Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England from Accidental Injuries – (Fall down a bank).
The Red Cross Wounded & Missing file for L/Cpl. George Richard Leach contains a letter from Sister A. L. Bennett for Matron of No. 1 Australian General Hospital, Sutton Veny, Wiltshire which reads:
“In reply to your letter of inquiry regarding the late L/Cpl. G. R. Leach No. 4230, 1st Pioneers A.I.F., I regret I can give you little or no information other than that already supplied in a letter written by Miss Gray (Matron) May 1st/19 to the lads Father – G. T. Leach Esq., Long Gully, Maldon, Victoria., as follows.
The patient was admitted into the Reception Room at 12.30 A.m. 28.4.19 suffering from a fall. He was then quite unconscious and died two (2) minutes after admission. An examination of the body disclosed dislocation of the neck at the 3rd vertebrae and fracture of left jaw.
The friend who accompanied the patient left whilst he (the patient) was being examined by the Medical Officer without having given any name. All enquiries failed to discover his whereabouts……
Lance Corporal George Richard Leach was buried in St. John the Evangelist Churchyard at Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, England where 140 other WW1 Australian Soldiers & 2 WW1 Australian Nurses are buried.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/k--m.html
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