Leslie John JERGENS

JERGENS, Leslie John

Service Number: 841
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Private
Last Unit: 27th Infantry Battalion
Born: Norwood, South Australia, Australia , October 1891
Home Town: Norwood (SA), South Australia
Schooling: Norwood Primary School
Occupation: Plumber
Died: Killed in Action, France, 31 August 1918
Cemetery: Herbecourt British Cemetery
Row B, Grave 11, Herbecourt British Cemetery, Picardie, France
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Norwood Primary School Honour Board
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World War 1 Service

31 May 1915: Involvement Private, 841, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Geelong embarkation_ship_number: A2 public_note: ''
31 May 1915: Embarked Private, 841, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Geelong, Adelaide

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Biography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School

Private Leslie John Jergens was born in Norwood, South Australia. His father was called John Jergens. Jergens had brown hair, blue eyes, and a fair complexion. He was 5 feet 5.75 inches (167.005cm) and weighed 136lbs (61.68kg). His family home was 53 Chappell Street, Norwood, South Australia. Prior to enlistment he worked as a plumber.  He was married to Phyllis Jergens.

Jergens enlisted in WW1 on the 9th of March 1915 at just 23 years and 5 months old. He was ranked a private upon enlistment, service number 841. He enlisted at Keswick, Adelaide, South Australia and was assigned to the 27th Infantry Battalion, D company. It was the second of the South Australian Battalions to be raised in WW1. It was allocated to the 7th Brigade in the Second Division. On the 16th of April Jergens marched with the Battalion to the newly established Mitcham Camp, located south of Adelaide city. The troops embarked from Adelaide on the 31st of May 1915, on board the HMAT Geelong, bound for Egypt, Gallipoli and ultimately the Western Front.

The Battalion’s  main objective in Gallipoli was to provide additional support to the existing troops. On December 22nd, 1915, Jergens was awarded 14 days Field Punishment No2 for a disobedience of orders. He returned to Egypt and stayed there for 1 month and 5 days. During this period, he journeyed from Ismailia to Alexandria and contracted a cold on the 8 – 2 – 1916, he was discharged from hospital just 2 days later on the 10th.

Jergens proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) and disembarked to Marseilles, France. The British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) was a subdivision of the British army that went to northern France in order to support French armies.

On the 4th of August 1916 Jergens was wounded in action with a gun shot wound to the left shoulder. He took an ambulance train from Wimereux (France) to Boulonge (France), where he embarked to England. Jergens was sent to a military hospital when he first arrived in England, but on the 16th January 1917 was relocated to an isolation hospital in Wareham (UK) with mumbs. Jergens transferred Battalions to the 70th from the 27th, in March 1917. The 70th Battalion might have been administrative because he wasn’t serving in a fighting unit at the time.

Jergens then transferred to the 69th draft Battalion 6 months later on the 19th of September, and proceeded to France on the 14th October, joining his unit on the 20th October 1917.

Private Leslie John Jergens was killed in action less than a year later on the 31st of August 1918 in France.

His personal items and will were surrendered to his wife and additionally, his medals where sent to his widow. Jergens was among the 8,000 volunteers who served and was one of the 1,169 men from the 27th Infantry Battalion who died in service.

He was buried at Herbecourt British Cemetery, Picardie, France: plot 1, row B, grave 11. Jergens was awarded the 1914 and 1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Leslie John Jergens is memorialized at the Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, and the Norwood Primary School Honour Board. 

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