WEST, Leslie James
| Service Number: | 242 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 35th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Kempsey, New South Wales, Australia, 17 June 1890 |
| Home Town: | Merewether, Newcastle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Newcastle South Public School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Storekeeper |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Villers-Bretonneux, France, 4 April 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France. |
| Memorials: | Newcastle & District Firemen HR, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 1 May 1916: | Involvement Corporal, 242, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Benalla embarkation_ship_number: A24 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1916: | Embarked Corporal, 242, 35th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Benalla, Sydney | |
| 20 Sep 1917: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, 'At St Ives, June 7-12 1917, for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in charge of carrying parties. He continued carrying after thirty six hours continuous work, with all his party casualties. He proceeded in his work until the companies he was carrying for were suppjlied with water, although several times nearly blown up by shells bursting close to him.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 219 Date: 20 December 1917 | |
| 4 Apr 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, 35th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 35th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1918-04-04 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Gary Mitchell, Sandgate Cemetery
Let us remember a Fallen soldier of The Great War awaiting memorialisation at Sandgate Cemetery.
On the 4th April 1918, Lieutenant Leslie James West D.C.M., 35th Battalion (Reg No-242), storekeeper from 38 Ridge Street, Merewether, New South Wales, father of three (Leslie Gilbert, born 1911, Newcastle, N.S.W., died?, Ronald Edward, born 1914, Merewether, N.S.W., died 1968, Hamilton, N.S.W., Frank Ernest, born 4.6.1916, Merewether, N.S.W., died 14.8.1916, Merewether, N.S.W., a Bud in Heaven, sleeping at ANGLICAN 1-31. 57, name not inscribed on gravesite plaque), was Killed in Action at Villers-Bretonneux, France (possibly killed by enemy bullet), age 27.
No Roll of Honour circular submitted.
Born at Kempsey, New South Wales on the 17th June 1890 to Gilbert Gill (died 24.10.1944, 38 Ridge Street, Merewether, N.S.W., age 87, buried at METHODIST 4-18. 65), and Adelaide Emily West nee Sutton (died 5.11.1943, Merewether, N.S.W., age 78, mother of 5, sleeping at METHODIST 4-18. 65), from 38 Ridge Street, Merewether, New South Wales; husband of Clara Blanche West nee Smith (married 1911, Newcastle, N.S.W., died 19.6.1979, Merewether, N.S.W., age 88, 61 years a widow!, ashes interred Newcastle Memorial Park -), from Mitchell Street, Merewether, N.S.W. (1917) and 147 Dawson Street, Cooks Hill, N.S.W. (1918). Sister to Private Edgar Albert Smith, widowed labourer from Mitchell Street, Merewether, N.S.W. and 147 Dawson Street, Cooks Hill, N.S.W., enlisted 12.5.1916, Light Trench Mortar Battery, KIA 25th May 1917 at Armentieres, Northern France, 35th Battalion, age 35, resting at Strand Military Cemetery, Belgium. Plot III Row A Grave 6. Father of two, Edgar Napier and Elizabeth (Bessie) Sarah Smith. Edgar’s wife Mary Ann Foss Smith is sleeping at this memorialised gravesite, a sad reminder that they would have been resting together if Edgar had returned home from The Great War - ANGLICAN 1-65. 75, photos 14-17, Les enlisted on the 29th December 1915 at Newcastle, N.S.W.
Unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A24 Benalla on the 1st May 1916.
Disembarked Plymouth, England 9.7.1916.
Awarded Distinguished Conduct Medal 13.10.1917.
Citation: 'For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in charge of carrying parties. He continued carrying after thirty six hours continuous work, with all his party as casualties. He proceeded in his work until the companies he was carrying for were supplied with water, although several times nearly blown up by shells bursting close to him'.
'Commonwealth Gazette', No. 219, 20th December 1917.
Admitted to hospital 29.1.17 (laryngitis).
Promoted Lieutenant 11.1.1918.
Granted leave to England from 29.1.1918 to 12.2.1918.
At least 35 years of Rememberance.
Mr. West’s name has been inscribed on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Place of Association – Merewether, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Les’s name has also been inscribed on the Merewether (Mitchell Park) Memorial Gates, Newcastle South Public School Roll of Honour, Newcastle and District Firemen Honour Roll, Cooks Hill St. John's Anglican Church Honor Roll and the Book of Gold.
Unfortunately, there is no memorial inscription on the headstone plaque at the gravesite of Les’s parents to tell us of the loss of their son during The Great War, and I am unable to erect a Memorial cross, so I have placed poppies in remembrance of his service and supreme sacrifice for God, King & Country. METHODIST 4-18. 65.
See The Harrower Collection - http://harrowercollection.com/menu.html
Contact with descendants would be greatly appreciated.
For more detail, see “Forever Remembered“.
http://www.commemoratingwarheroes.com/cemetery-main-search/.
Lest We Forget.
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