Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leslie Norman TIMMINS, (known as Norman by his family was born on the 9th February 1896 at “Lowlands”, Curragundi, New South Wales, Australia. He was the twelfth child (fifth son) born to William Henry and Elizabeth Garner Timmins.

On the 27th of September 1915, at the age of 20 years and 8 months, Norman passed the Australian Imperial Force Medical Examination at Moree, New South Wales. The following day he took the Oath in front of C. Winholz J.P. confirming his enlistment in the Australian Imperial Forces.

An article appearing in the Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser, Friday 24th Sept 1915, gives an insight as to the community’s feelings towards the young men of the district and their willingness to sign up and go to war:

“The Bullarah boys have effectually wiped away the strain which has been clinging to their names ever since the publication of the report that out of 60 odd single men apparently eligible for the front not one expressed a desire to go. Saturday's meeting enabled them to show that they were not the shirkers and cowards, people were beginning to think they were, but boys of the bull-dog breed after all, ready to lay down their lives for Australia and for the Empire of which she forms a part…”

Norman was 5 foot 10¾ inches tall, weighed 144lbs, chest measurement 33 inches, of dark complexion, brown eyes and had dark brown hair. He had a distinctive scar on his nose between his eyes.

Up until the time of his enlistment, Norman had been working as a station hand on his family’s property at “Lowlands”, Bullarah, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second son of his family to enlist. His older brother Herbert Thomas Timmins had enlisted on the 28th May 1915 and was already overseas fighting at Gallipoli, Turkey, and his older sister, Helena May (known as "Ilma") Timmins had already joined the First Australian General Hospital on the 16th June 1915 and was at this time serving at Heliopolis, Egypt.

Norman was appointed to “C” Company, 30th Battalion, and served with this company until on the 10th April 1916. He was then transferred to the 7th Reinforcement, 30th Battalion and served in this unit from 10 Apr 1916 until 1st May 1916 when he was transferred to the 8th Reinforcement, 30th Battalion being the unit he was in when posted overseas.

On the 5th Aug 1916, eleven months after enlisting, Norman finally embarked from Sydney on the “Ballarat” bound for Plymouth, England. It would appear from his service record that he spent six weeks in England training before proceeding overseas from Folkestone to France on the SS Bruward arriving 12th Nov 1916 and taken on strength at Etaples from the Officer in Charge of the 5th Divisional Base on the 13th November. On the 15th November, he was sent to the 51st General Hospital and spent a total of 29 days on sick leave before re-joining the 30th Battalion at Etaples on the 18th Dec 1916.

Four weeks prior to Norman re-joining his unit at Montauban base, 50 men had been evacuated sick which had reduced the unit strength to 34 officers and 899 other ranks.  The last week of November and the first two weeks of December were very strenuous for the Battalion as conditions at the front line were horrendous and troops had to be relieved quite regularly.

“After a few days spell and the process would be repeated. Almost every day a few men were killed or wounded, but our greatest losses were due to sickness, and particularly trench feet. From the latter cause alone fifty-five members of the battalion lost one or both feet, creating an unenviable record in the A.I.F.” 

Norman re-joined his unit 5 days after 142 men were evacuated sick and it would seem that he arrived almost at the end of the offensive battle that had been raging since 1st July 1916. The strength of the 30th Battalion was at its lowest, with less than 400 men of all ranks.

From the 12th Dec 1916 until 12th Jan 1917 the Battalion was detailed as ‘corps troops’ and were engaged in road construction and quarry work in “Sausage Gully”, near Pozieres. Very tedious and repetitive work but the men were able to rest every night.

His Battalion was positioned at Montauban, Somme France on the 12 Jan 1917 and was relieved by the 29th Battalion. They moved back to Fricourt brigade camp and then forwarded to Montauban, “Trones Wood”, “Needle Dump” and the front line relieving the 53rd Battalion in “Zenith”, “Spring” and “Summer” trenches until the 26th January 1917.

The Battalion then withdrew back to Fricourt and began training exercises until February 6th, 1917. Heavy snow fell during this time followed by frosts, but this made moving through the trenches easier as the once water-laden and slush-filled trenches were now frozen solid.

The Battalion once again moved forward to Montauban and Pommier Redoubt on the 7th February 1917 relieving the 31st Battalion on road and railway fatigues. One week later after being relieved by the 60th Battalion they moved on to Delville Wood where they performed pick and shovel work until the 20th February 1917. In the middle of this month, the first thaw had begun, foggy conditions were a regular occurrence and it wasn’t long until the countryside was once again a quagmire. The improvements which were made to roads, tracks, and railways during the winter freeze and the improved delivery of food supplies were a big improvement on the previous four months.

21st February 1917 saw the battalion leave Deville Wood and move to Needle and Switch trenches where conditions were appalling due to the thaw. Norman’s battalion relieved the 31st battalion two days later. German garrisons had withdrawn most of their troops from the front line which signaled the beginning of the German retirement and by the end of April 1917 the enemy had taken up position on the Hindenburg Line.

As Norman’s battalion passed beyond the township of Bapaume great care was taken as the enemy had left booby traps of delayed mines in dugouts and houses, along with also polluting a number of wells.

On the 26th of May 1917 in France, Norman was appointed to Company Driver.

It wasn’t until 25 January 1918 when Norman saw his first leave granted to England. He re-joined his unit on the 7th of February 1918.

He was admitted to the hospital for 2 days with influenza on 2 Nov 1918 and then re-joined his unit until granted leave to the UK on 18 Dec 2018. On the 1st of January 1919 whilst on leave at Dartford, England he was once again admitted to hospital with Influenza. Two weeks later on the 13th January, he was discharged to No. 2 Company Depot at Weymouth, England.

On the 7th February 1919, he went AWOL at 2359 hours until he was apprehended at Bristol the following day at 1200 hours. He was confined to barracks for 2 days and fined 1 day’s pay.

Norman was invalided home to Australia on the 25th of March 1919 per Port Denison and officially discharged from the Australian Imperial Forces on the 20th of June 1919. He was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

After the war, Norman worked on his brother William's property at "Newickie Downs", south of Mitchell in Queensland.

Two years after returning home from the war Norman married Eileen Edith Cluff on the 10th March 1921 on her parent’s property at “Rosedale Station” Mitchell, Queensland, Australia. Witnesses to the marriage were James Thomas Cluff (the bride’s father) and Walter Anderson. At the time of his marriage, Norman was still living on “Newickie Downs” and employed as a Station Manager.

Norman and Eileen had four sons. Two of these sons enlisted during World War Two. Norman also signed up again in World War Two.

Like many returned soldiers, adjusting to normal life after the war had its challenges, for both him and his family. A few years after he married they moved the family up to the Gayndah district in Queensland where they lived on a dairy farm. His son told me that they lived in a two-room shack, built from split slabs taken from native trees in the area. Hessian sacks lined the floor to cover the bare earth. 

Norman Timmins passed away at the Repatriation General Hospital at Greenslopes, Qld on the 25th September 1966 at the age of 71 years. He was cremated on the 27th of September 1966 at the Mt Thompson Crematorium in Brisbane Qld.

For his service we thank him. Lest we forget.

1. Personal family knowledge
2. NSW Birth Certificate 1896/014272 Leslie Norman Timmins.
3. Service Record of Norman Leslie Timmins B2455, National Archives of Australia.
4. Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser (NSW: 1901 - 1940), Friday 24 September 1915, page 5.
5. Service Record of Herbert Thomas Timmins, p. 1, B2455, National Archives of Australia.
6. Service Record of Ilma May Timmins, p. 1 & p. 5, B2455, National Archives of Australia.
7. Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser (NSW: 1901 - 1940), Friday 24 September 1915, page 4.
8. Book “The Purple and the Gold – A History of the 30th Battalion (AIF) 
9. Qld Marriage Certificate Norman Leslie Timmins and Eileen Edith Cluff f490/1921
10. Qld Death Certificate Norman Leslie Timmins 55209/1966