S75220
JASPER, Leslie Richard
| Service Number: | 1440 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 April 1942, Orroroo, SA |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 11th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Pine Creek, near Manoora, South Australia, 23 November 1888 |
| Home Town: | Wepowie, Orroroo/Carrieton, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Prospect, South Australia, 18 October 1954, aged 65 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Enfield Memorial Park, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Orroroo District Roll of Honour WW1, Orroroo Morchard Men Roll of Honor, Pekina War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 1440, 11th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 1440, 11th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Corporal, 1440, 11th Light Horse Regiment |
World War 2 Service
| 29 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Orroroo, SA |
|---|
Help us honour Leslie Richard Jasper's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by tony griffin
1440 Corporal Leslie Richard Jasper
Richard Jasper was born in 1822 at Launceston in England. His wife Phillipa was born in 1827 and died in 1847, the year that Richard arrived in Australia on the “Princess Royal”. Richard, a policeman, married Jane Venning in 1850 and was an original settler at Pine Creek a few miles west of Manoora. His son Richard married Jane Fatchen who was also born in Pine Creek. Their son Leslie Richard was born there on 23 November 1888. Leslie married Dora Lavinia Price Reichstein from Morchard on 26 July 1915, only 20 days before he enlisted. Dora’s father, Johann William Reichstein, was also born at Pine Creek and had moved to the Morchard district sometime before Dora was born.
Prior to his enlistment Leslie had served 6 years in the 17th Australian Light Horse Regiment – probably in the 2nd Orroroo – Morchard – Petersburg Squadron. A 26 year old labourer, he was rejected from the AIF because of deficient teeth and was finally appointed to Base Light Horse from where he was allocated to 7th Reinforcements 11th Light Horse Regiment on 1 October 1915. 7th Reinforcements sailed from Adelaide aboard HMAT A2 Geelong on 18 November. After landing in Egypt Leslie was temporarily taken on strength with 9th Light Horse Regiment at Heliopolis but five weeks later, on 22 February 1916, he was transferred and taken on strength with C Squadron 11th Light Horse at 2nd Oasis Camp Heliopolis. Throughout the remainder of 1916 11th Light Horse was deployed in defence of the Suez Canal and patrolling into the Sinai desert.
Back at home, Leslie’s wife Dora gave birth to their first son, Jack Monteith Jasper ("Orroroo Jack") born in April.
In April 1917 the 11th Light Horse moved into Palestine and fought several battles against the Turks. For Leslie there was a brief respite when he reported to 4th Light Horse Field Ambulance for dental treatment in June and when at rest camp in Port Said for four days in August. The first months of 1918 were spent resting and training before moving into the Jordan Valley to take part in the Es Salt raid between 29 April and 4 May. Two weeks later Leslie was appointed temporary Corporal and after helping repulse heavy Turkish and German attacks in July was promoted to the permanent rank of Corporal. In August the regiment was issued with swords and trained in traditional cavalry tactics in preparation for an offensive against the Turks but Leslie was to leave the regiment before the attack eventuated.
Leslie marched out to Cadre at the Light Horse Training Regiment at Moascar on 12 September and remained there instructing for the rest of the war. Leslie rejoined the 11th Light Horse at Moascar after it had been recalled to Egypt where rioting had started. 11th Light Horse embarked at Kanara on 22 July aboard HT Morvada and C Squadron disembarked at Outer Harbour on 23 August 1919. Leslie was discharged on 15 October 1919.
A three year old son waited to meet a father he had never seen. Leslie moved back to land in the Hundred of Pekina (Sec 276- now Sec 93) that had been allocated to hin under the Soldier Settlement Scheme. A second son, Harold Leslie, was born in 1926.
In 1953 Leslie and Dora left the farm at Wepowie and moved to Nailsworth where Leslie died in 1954 at the age of 65 years. He is buried in Enfield Memorial Park along with Dora who passed away at Daw Park on 24 March 1971.