BROWNING, Leslie Kenneth
| Service Numbers: | 85, 827, NX123628 (N180957) |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Major |
| Last Unit: | 30th Infantry Brigade |
| Born: | Tingha, New South Wales, Australia, 1 February 1894 |
| Home Town: | Rhodes, Canada Bay, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Bank Clerk |
| Died: | Victoria, Australia, 24 November 1956, aged 62 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Melbourne |
| Memorials: | Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 85, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 1914: | Embarked Private, 85, 1st Infantry Battalion, Naval and Military Forces - Special Tropical Corps, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 19 Aug 1914: | Involvement Private, 85, 1st Infantry Battalion, Naval and Military Forces - Special Tropical Corps, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 24 Mar 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 827, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Sergeant, 827, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Berrima embarkation_ship_number: A35 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Sergeant, 827, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Berrima, Sydney | |
| 23 Oct 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 23 Oct 1916: | Promoted Second Lieutenant, 20th Infantry Battalion | |
| 21 Aug 1917: | Honoured Military Cross, 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. He led out a patrol, successfully engaged a strong party of the enemy, and brought back most valuable information. He set a fine example to his men.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 133 Date: 21 August 1917 | |
| 25 Jul 1918: | Honoured Military Cross and bar, 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. Though badly wounded before the battalion had reached his first objective, this officer insisted on carrying on, and took over the command of his company. When the objective had been gained, he superintended the work of consolidation, until the pain and loss of blood caused by his wound forced him to lie down. Still refusing to be evacuated he continued to receive and send messages. On a further advance and re-consolidation by the battalion, he again insisted on being carried up to the new point, where he supervised the work of consolidation though under very heavy hostile shell fire. His wonderful grit and determination proved a fine example to all ranks.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 110 |
World War 2 Service
| 9 Oct 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Major, NX123628 (N180957), 30th Infantry Brigade |
|---|
Help us honour Leslie Kenneth Browning's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Leslie Kenneth Browning was born on the 26th of March 1986 in Bingara, Tingha, New South Wales, Australia. He grew up with his parents, James Browning and Agne Turnbull, had 4 brothers but one of them died when he was just 3 years old in 1904(1). Growing up, he obtained a scholarship to Sydney Technical High School in 1911 after sitting an exam spanning the 1st of October to the 2nd at just 14 years of age(2). After school he found employment as a bank clerk.
Browning had many military deployments ranging from German New Guinea, Gallipoli and France. When World War 1 broke out he was 18 but he lied about his age changing his birthdate from 1896 to 1894 making him 20 years of age in 1914 (4). His starting rank was Private and first embarked on HMAT A35 Berrima on 19/8/1914, part of unit Naval and military Expeditionary Force, to German New Guinea that led a capture on the radio tower in Bita Paka and performed garrison duties (5). He was discharged on the 4th of March 1915.
Soon after he met his first wife Margaret MacFarlane and in 1915 married her in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland (6). He eventually came back to Australia to re-enlist again as a Sergeant in the 20th battalion on the 24th of March 1915.
He boarded the transport boat Berrima on 25th of June 1915 and embarked to Cairo, Egypt to train then to Gallipoli. He arrived at ANZAC Cove on 22nd of August 1915.
He was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 23rd of October 1916 and received a Military Cross on 21st August 1917 for leading a patrol out and successfully engaging a strong enemy and retrieving valuable information (7).
In 1918 he received a bar to military cross for his bravery after he sustained a gunshot to his right leg but continued to lead and command even after being forced to lie down from his wound. (8)
He was transported to London in 1919 and spent 3 years there. During that time his wife, Margaret MacFarlane, visited giving birth to his son James Browning Brentford on the 27th of April 1919 in London. He departed on the 13 of January 1920 back to Australia and was discharged on the 19th of April 1920. (9)
He returned to Australia in 1921 and lived in Middleton st, Marrickville. He had another son, John Francis Caird, then in 1922 moved to Grevill st, Randwick (10). During this time, he owned a business partnership with Lester Nicole and Francis Browning at 277 Clarence street Sydney. It was his business as manufacturing agents, Lester Nicole retired leaving the other two to continue their business together and rebranding their business to Browning and Simpson(11). Browning also filled in temporarily for Major Buttner and he became a member of the Subordinate War Gratuity Board on the 17th of March 1921. However, the Governor General in council cancelled their appointments on the 31st of March of 1923 resulting in the termination of all their positions. (12).
Soon after in 1924 he departed Australia to San Francisco, California, America from 20/1/1924 - 19/2/1924 leaving his wife and two sons behind. He then remarried to Almeda Parker on the 28th of September 1926 in a surprise wedding in Redwood city, California and a year later in 1927, she gave birth to his third child Patricia Browning (13). In 1932 he left California, became a permanent resident of Vancouver BC, Canada and became a salesman living with Almeda Parker.
By 1937 he was employed by the advertising department of Vancouver Sun Newspaper. In 1939 he returned to Australia. (14) In 1942 he lived in Denham Rhodes, NSW, worked in a department store and had divorced Almeda Parker and had filled out enlistment papers for Ww2. He was 46 but due to his previous experience, he was given the rank Major (15).
By 1945 he remarried to Loris Moran and had an anonymous child, then choosing to reside in 5 Dawson Avenue, Elsterwick Balclava, Victoria where he died on the 16th of July 1956 due to unknown causes. He was buried in Springvale Botanical Cemetery Melbourne and can be found on the Sydney Technical High School World War 1 honour board (16).
References:
1.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
2.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, p.26 Mon 23/1/1911
3.
AIF project “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
WW2 Enlistment form - Ken Stevenson
4.
Ibid
WW2 Enlistment form - Ken Stevenson
Virtual War Memorial “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
5.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
Australian War Memorial, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF)
6.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
7.
Australian War Memorial, 20th Battalion
Australian War Memorial, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF)
8.
Ibid
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
9.
Ibid
10.
Ibid
11.
Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, Friday 21 January 1921 (No.9), page 373
12.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Thursday 17 March 1921 (No.24), page 445
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Thursday 12 April 1923 (No.25), page 485
13.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word Surprise wedding image- Ken Stevenson
14.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning mobilisation attestation for WW2- Ken Stevenson
15.
Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
Bibliography:
- Ancestry “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
- AIF Files “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
- NAA Files “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
- Australian War Memorial 20th Battalion
- Australian War Memorial, Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force (ANMEF)
- Australian Virtual War Memorial “Leslie Kenneth Browning”
- Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales, Friday 21 January 1921 (No.9), page 373
- Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Thursday 17 March 1921 (No.24), page 445
- Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Thursday 12 April 1923 (No.25), page 485
- Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word Surprise wedding image- Ken Stevenson
- Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning mobilisation attestation for WW2- Ken Stevenson
- Google drive Leslie Kenneth Browning word document - Ken Stevenson
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