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Australia

Frederick was the son of Frederick LEACH & Sarah Ann SPENCE and was born on the 6th of February 1884 in Kent Town, SA.

His parents were married on the 5th of December 1881 in the Trinity Church, Adelaide, SA.

His father was the son of William LEACH and was born in 1844 in England.

His mother was the daughter of Thomas SPENCE & Fanny Ann ALLISON and was born on the 27th of November 1859 at Fairfield, near Mt Barker, SA.

Frederick was the eldest child born into this family of 9 children.

His father had arrived in South Australia from England on board the Earl Dalhousie on the 12th of January 1874.

When Frederick was 2 years old the family moved to Angaston and his father took over the license of the Angaston Hotel in 1886.

In 1889 his father offered to light the street lamp opposite the post office for 12 months if he was allowed to paint his name and address on it, this was accepted.

Frederick and his siblings attended the Angaston Public School and then in February 1901 his father leased the Angaston Hotel out for 3 years and the family moved to Hill Street, North Adelaide.

By 1904 they had returned to Angaston and his father took the Hotel over again and Frederick gained employment at Chateau Tanunda as a Cellarman.

He captained the Tanunda Football Team and played cricket for his local town.

Frederick married Laura Annie Margaret CREASY on the 5th of October 1906 at the residence of Laura’s father, in Nuriootpa, SA.

Laura was the daughter of Robert CREASY & Annie SCOTT and was born on the 28th of September 1883 in Stanley Flat, SA.

They made their first home in Angaston and 6 days later they welcomed their first child; Elsie Alma, on the 11th of October 1906, followed by John Frederick Robert on the 2nd of June 1909.

Then in June 1912 Frederick found himself in the Adelaide Supreme Court charged with the larceny of broken glass from Chateau Tanunda and was convicted and sentenced to 12 months hard labour in Yatala Prison.

Whilst he was incarcerated Laura gave birth to little Phyllis Evelyn on the 2nd of October 1912.

Frederick served his sentenced and was released on the 21st of February 1913 and then James Richard was born on the 13th of December 1914 in Adelaide.

Frederick then gained employment as a Porter with the South Australian Railways and they moved to 32 George Street, Parkside.

With the outbreak of WW1 his brother Alfred enlisted into the 27th Battalion on the 4th of March 1915 (629) and then another brother; William Richmond enlisted into the 10th Battalion on the 3rd of August 1915 (4614).

At the age of 31, Frederick enlisted into the AIF on the 30th of September 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 13412 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion, in Exhibition Camp.

He was then posted to the 1st Depot Battalion at Morphettville Camp and then 15 days later he was transferred to the (AAMC) Australian Army Medical Corps.

Then on the 16th of March 1916 he was posted to the March General Reinforcements of the AAMC, embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Kanowna on the 1st of April 1916, disembarked in Egypt on the 7th of May and marched into Tel-el-Kebir Camp.

He then embarked from Alexandria on 28th of May, disembarked at Plymouth on the 11th of June and marched into the AAMC (Australian Army Medical Corps) Detail Camp in Parkhouse.

On the 12th of July he was posted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield as an orderly.

He served for the entire war here and embarked for Australia on the 10th of June 1919 on board HT Port Lyttleton. He disembarked in Melbourne on the 5th of August and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

Frederick was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of September 1919.

He returned to his wife and young family and they welcomed their last child; William Ernest, on the 15th of May 1921 and Frederick returned to his employment as a Porter with the South Australian Railways.

They then purchased a home at 118 West Street, Brompton in September 1926 and named their home “Clare” and their children later attended to Brompton Public School.

With the outbreak of WW2, their son William enlisted into the RAN on the 2nd of May 1941 (PA2161) and then James enlisted into the 2/43rd Battalion on the 14th of August 1941 (SX14063).

Frederick died at his residence on the 24th of February 1943 and Laura buried him 2 days later in the Dudley Park Cemetery; Section TA, Path 7, Plot 0275.

LEACH — The friends of the late Mr Frederick James Leach (late A.A.M.C. 1st A.I.F.) are respectfully informed that his remains will be interred in the Dudley Park Cemetery. The funeral is appointed to leave his late residence, "Clare," 118 West Street, Brompton, This Day, February 26th at 3 p.m.

Laura died on the 20th of February 1972 in Prospect and was buried in the Dudley Park Cemetery, with Frederick.

Military

At the age of 31, Frederick enlisted into the AIF on the 30th of September 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 13412 and posted to B Company, 2nd Depot Battalion, in Exhibition Camp.

He listed his wife, of 32 George Street, Parkside, as his next of kin.

On the 1st of November he was posted to the 1st Depot Battalion at Morphettville Camp and then 15 days later he was transferred to the (AAMC) Australian Army Medical Corps.

Then on the 16th of March 1916 he was posted to the March General Reinforcements of the AAMC.

Frederick embarked from Melbourne on board HMAT Kanowna on the 1st of April 1916 and disembarked in Egypt on the 7th of May and marched into Tel-el-Kebir Camp.

He then embarked from Alexandria on 28th of May, disembarked at Plymouth on the 11th of June and marched into the AAMC (Australian Army Medical Corps) Detail Camp in Parkhouse.

On the 12th of July he was posted to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Harefield as an orderly.

Back in November 1914, Mr and Mrs Charles Billyard-Leake, Australians resident in the UK, offered their home, Harefield Park House and its grounds, to the Minister of Defence in Melbourne for use as a convalescent home for wounded soldiers of the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF).  

The offer was accepted by the Commonwealth Defence Department and the property became the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in December 1914.  It was to be the only solely Australian hospital in England.

The Hospital consisted of Harefield Park House, a 3-storey plain brick building, some out-buildings and grounds of some 250 acres.  It was proposed that the Hospital would accommodate 60 patients in the winter and 150 in the summer.  It was intended that it would be a rehabilitation centre for officers and other ranks, and a depot for assembling drafts of invalided soldiers to be sent back to Australia.

The medical and nursing staff comprised one Captain from the Australian Army Medical Corps, one Sergeant, one Corporal, four Privates (as wardsmen and orderlies), one Matron and five Nursing Sisters. The Medical Superintendent was to be under the supervision of the High Commissioner.

The appointed Matron, Miss Ethel Gray, and five nurses had departed Australia on the RMS Osterley, arriving in England at the end of March 1915.  The first Medical Superintendent was Captain M.V. Southey, AAMC.  He and his medical team set sail from Australia on the Runic and had arrived in mid April 1915, to begin establishing the facility.  Their first task was to procure equipment for the Hospital, and furnishings and fittings for the house ready for use by Australian troops by June 1915.

As an order to quadruple the available accommodation, hutted wards were then built.  A mess hall for 120 patients was constructed in the courtyard and by May 80 beds were ready.

The first 8 patients had arrived on 2nd of June 1915, from Gallipoli and by the 22nd of June the Hospital had 170 patients and extra huts were again built and the first operation was performed here in July.

In August, by which time the Hospital had 362 patients, King George V and Queen Mary visited for two hours, speaking to every patient confined to bed.  

Then in September extra beds had to be found urgently for another 49 patients and an Artificial Limb workshop had opened in December 1915.

In January 1916 an eye ward was opened and an Orderlies' Canteen opened for all rank staff below the rank of Sergeant.  

A Patients' Canteen had already been established and was run by a Committee, including Mrs Letitia Sara Billyard-Leake, her daughter Letitia and ladies of the surrounding district.

By the end of March 1916 the Hospital had equipped 803 beds and then in May, Mr Billyard-Leake offered to rent his property, “The Red House” in Park Lane, opposite the Officers' Mess, for use as staff accommodation and this is where Frederick was accommodated.  

By October 1916 the Hospital had 960 patients and in November it was recommended that, rather than remain a convalescent home, the Hospital should become a general hospital complete with operating theatres and an X-ray department. The staff now comprised one Lieutenant-Colonel, five Majors, 12 Captains, one Quartermaster (an Honorary Lieutenant), one Matron, two Head Sisters, 36 Staff Nurses, one Warrant Officer, 15 Staff Sergeants and Sergeants, 10 Corporals and 94 Privates.  

Two dental units and six masseurs were attached to the Hospital and then an X-ray attendant and a laboratory attendant (both Sergeants) were added later.

An Australian Red Cross store opened in December and a small magazine was produced by the patients which, in December 1916, became an official magazine - the “Harefield Park Boomerang”.  

Initially it published irregularly, but was finally established as a monthly magazine. (The final issue, entitled “The Victory Number”, was published in December 1918).

As the war progressed the Hospital became a general hospital and at the height of its use it accommodated over 1000 patients and the nursing staff had expanded to 74 members.  By December 1917 the Hospital had three Lieutenant-Colonels, namely the Commanding Officer, a surgeon-specialist and a radiologist to the Australian Imperial Forces (AIF).  It also had a large number of voluntary workers.

By August 1918 the Hospital had become a centre for ear, nose and throat (ENT) and eye disorders.  It had Massage and Dental Departments and an Electrical Department where skiagrams (X-rays) could be obtained and the patients were housed in 36 large huts dispersed throughout Harefield Park.  

Nearly 50 buildings were in use, including workshops, garages, stores, messes, canteens, a recreation hall (where concerts and film shows were held), a billiards rooms, writing rooms, a library, a cookhouse, a detention room and a mortuary.  

For entertainment, tours to London were arranged and paid for out of canteen funds, and the ladies of the district made their cars available for country trips, picnics and journeys to and from the railway station, both for patients and visitors.

The Hospital gradually closed down during January 1919 and on the 9th of May Frederick marched out to Fovant awaiting his return to Australia.

Frederick embarked for Australia on the 10th of June 1919 on board HT Port Lyttleton, disembarked in Melbourne on the 5th of August and entrained to Adelaide the following day.

Frederick was discharged from the AIF on the 29th of September 1919 and awarded the British War Medal.