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From: In Remembrance: Hungerford and Associated Families in the Great War 1914-1918

Capt Thomas Leigh ('Leigh') SIMPSON, 

Regimental Number:   948

Unit Name:   3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance, 1st Reinforcement

Religion:   Presbyterian

Occupation:   Electrical Engineer

Address:   'Clifton', Hamilton, Vic.

Age of Enlistment:   19 years and 7 months

Enlistment Date and Place:   5 January 1915, Hamilton, Vic.

Next of Kin:   Father, Archibald Joseph Simpson, 'Clifton', Hamilton, Vic.

Rank on Enlistment:   Private

Embarkation Details:   Unit embarked from Melbourne, Vic.,

on board HMAT A46 Clan McGillivray on 2 February 1915

Regimental Number from Nominal Roll:   Commissioned

Rank from Nominal Roll:   Lieutenant

Unit from Nominal Roll:   68th Royal Flying Corps

Campaigns Served:   Egypt; Gallipoli; Western Front

Place of Wounding:   Gunshot wound, thigh, 2 June 1918.

Promotions:   26 October 1917 - Lieutenant

Fate:   Returned to Australia per HT D22 Arawa, 15 September 1918. He married Mary Emma Garland, 5 December 1922, Christ Church, Hamilton, Vic.

Place of Death:   9 December 1960, Glenelg Base Hospital, Hamilton, Vic.

Place of Burial:   Dunkeld Cemetery, Dunkeld, Vic.

Medals/Citations:   Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC); 1914/15 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal

'An officer of exceptional ability, courage, and determination. He has directed our artillery fire on; forty occasions on hostile batteries, and has taken over 500 photographs of enemy positions. He was attacked by six triplanes on one occasion whilst engaged in photographing the enemy positions, and managed to hold his own until our scouts drove them off. Later, he was again attacked by a large enemy formation, but he skilfully out-manoeuvred them. Recently, whilst on patrol, he located eight enemy batteries, upon which he directed a concentration of our artillery fire. On this occasion he was wounded by anti-aircraft fire whilst flying low.'

Source: Commonwealth Gazette No 185. Date:  27 November 1918

The following is from: http:// yilong.com.au/ANZAC_TLS_2.HTML

He joined the 3rd LHFA under the watchful eye of his cousin, Lt. (Dr.) John Anderson, and although friends with many of the doomed 8th Light Horse boys who took part in the infamous charge at 'The Neck', he was not involved in that action. Instead the 3rd LHFA was attached to the 4th Brigade under Brigadier General Monash and went north to an equally perilous month of battles, including Hill 60. Leigh often went out under fire at night to rescue the wounded, details of which he recalls to his father in writing letters while crammed in a dugout.

He survived Gallipoli, although returned to Egypt with the mumps, and spent a month in Heliopolis Hospital. On recovery he stayed with his often idle regiment and became very unsettled, writing of his unsuccessful bids for transfer. His younger brother, Robin, passed through on the way to France with an artillery battery and they spent a few days together enjoying the sights of Port Said and Cairo, of which Leigh was now very familiar.

Due to his experience with motor bikes and machines, he spent a month as driver for Brigade Commander General Antill, but was back with the Field Ambulance in time to take part in the successful battle of Romani, and the retreat of the Ottoman Army back through the Northern Sinai to El Arish. However, in early December 1916, he finally gained his transfer and much to his delight joined the Australia Flying Corps as a 2nd Class Mechanic.

Soon the 68th Squadron sailed across the Mediterranean by Malta to France, disembarking at Marseilles and travelling by train for 2 days north to the English Channel. In the UK he began training as a pilot, and was attached to numerous British Squadrons in various locations before finally gaining his wings and promotion to 2nd Lieutenant. He survived 2 crash landings in farmland and recalls them routinely to his parents, reassuring them that flying is safer than driving a motorcar.

In September 1917 he embarked for France and was posted near Flanders with the 3rd Squadron AFC. This was a reconnaissance unit flying RE8 planes in which he flew over 170 missions - taking photos behind the lines, monitoring artillery and later, training novice pilots. In April, while stationed near Amiens, he was on a routine flight with another RE8 over the lines, when they were attacked by a group of German triplanes, the leader of which broke off to unsuccessfully attack Simpson, who eluded him in his awkward and outdated RE8 machine. The enemy group then left the fight to engage a group of British fighters, and during this dogfight the leader, Captain, Baron Von Richthofen, was killed by machine gun fire, low near the Somme River.

Leigh was unaware of the Baron's fate and later, while returning to base, he was vengefully attacked by the remainder of the German Squadron, who were out to repay the death of their leader. By engaging a dangerous practice he was common with, Leigh dived in a free spiral and over a 5,000 ft fall, he managed to break away from the group of enemy fighters, this feat being mentioned in the citation for his Distinguished Flying Conduct medal.

However, this posting was not to last long, for in early June Leigh finally received his 'iron ration' while on a mission, and after skilfully landing in safe territory he was painfully transported for 3 days to the 2nd Red Cross Hospital in Rouen, France. Two weeks later he was transported to the UK, and after a lengthy time of repatriation, he sailed for home, hearing of the

war's end just before arriving home to Melbourne.