Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leslie Steele Tucker was born sometime around 1894-95 in the township of Tunstall, Victoria to parents Leonard Tucker and Ellen Halliday. He was a short man standing at 5 foot 4 with a tan complexion, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Leslie had 8 siblings named Charles Sidney, Daisy May, Leonard Cecil, Mignonette, Neil Gladstone, Pansy Lenora, Reginald Leonard, and Robert Neri. After his birth he moved to Mount Gambier in his young years and before going to Adelaide to attend Norwood primary school and live in Adelaide prior to being enlisted. He and his family lived at 34 Osmond Terrace in Norwood. Prior to joining the army, he worked as a station hand, on a huge property called Mount Eba station which later became the place of his death. He served in the Mount Gambier cadets prior to enlisting at the Keswick barracks which are still in use to this day.

Leslie became a part of the 9th Light Horse Regiment which embarked from Australia on October the 27th 1915, on the HMAT Ulysses from Port Melbourne. The 9th Light Horse fought all over the Middle East, Ottoman Empire and North Africa, and served in battles such as the Battles of Gaza, Battle of Romani, and the Battle of Megiddo. Although training in Melbourne, a large amount of the Regiment originally hailed from South Australia while the rest being from Victoria. The first 9th Light Horse arrived in Egypt on March 14th, 1915, but Leslie arrived in December of 1915 after the Regiment had suffered large casualties in Turkey and Egypt against the Ottomans. After being in the 9th Light Horse Regiment for around 3 years, he then joined the 32nd Infantry Battalion in the middle of 1917. In the last battle fought by the 32nd Infantry Battalion, Leslie was severely wounded on the 29/9/1917. This was during the battle of St Quentin canal which was a battle against the Germans that lasted across 12 days in the northeastern region of France. The battle was captained by the famous general John Monash who now has a town named after him in country South Australia.

After being wounded in battle with gun shot wounds to the arm, leg and back he was sent to England to Rowen General Hospital on October 5th, 1917. In his injury report they described many times that his condition was extremely severe, and he was admitted to Monyhull hospital (a former psychiatric asylum) in Birmingham England which was converted into a war hospital during the First World War. After a long and hard recovery, he was discharged from hospital on the 8th of August 1918. Prior to his return to Australia Leslie married a woman named Venetia Bowes at the registry office in Warminster, England on the 16th of January 1919.

He left England on the Zealandic on the 3rd of July 1919, then arriving back to Adelaide on the 21st of August 1919 with his wife and her 2 children, John and Phillip. The children that Venetia brought to Australia were from a previous marriage. While living in Mount Gambier one of Venetia’s children was killed in a horrible wagon accident having falling off the cart and being ran over, all while alongside his stepdad, Leslie.

After this tragic accident, Leslie, Venetia and their other child decided to move back to Mount Eba station to work on the cattle and sheep. Everyone was obviously very shaken up from this tragedy but unfortunately not long after moving to Mount Eba more tragedy came. Venetia describes in the report that he was a great husband for the most part but had moments where he got very angry and heated. One normal day on the farm Leslie and his wife had an argument over some washing. She had asked him to help when he yelled back, “go to hell and do it yourself’’. Then the two of them argued for a while until a gun was brought into the argument when Leslie stated ‘’perhaps you would like to shoot me’’, before getting the rifle. Then she described everything as a blur as she jumped forward before everything supposedly going black then she looked down and saw him dead on the floor. She was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 180 days in prison as the judge deemed his behavior foolish and reckless as he was saying suicidal things.

Leslie had suffered multiple nervous breakdowns due to post traumatic stress and this had been mentioned a few days prior to the death that he was wanting to go down to Adelaide for some rest. Leslie Steele Tucker was buried at Mount Eba station in the presence of his wife and surviving stepson. His wife tossed her wedding ring into his grave. He was 28 years old.