BLAKE, Leslie Russell
| Service Number: | 7306 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 July 1915, Brisbane, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Captain |
| Last Unit: | 5th Field Artillery Brigade |
| Born: | Hawthorn, Victoria, 28 October 1890 |
| Home Town: | Gympie, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Southport School, Brisbane Techical Colllege, Queensland, Australia |
| Occupation: | Geological surveyor |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Tincourt, France, 3 October 1918, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
Tincourt New British Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 7306, 15th Field Artillery Brigade , Brisbane, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Nov 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 7306, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , HMAT Persic, Sydney | |
| 18 Nov 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 7306, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '4' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Persic embarkation_ship_number: A34 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Mar 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 15th Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 2 Aug 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 5th Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 13 May 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Captain, 5th Field Artillery Brigade | |
| 3 Oct 1918: | Wounded "The Last Hundred Days", Shell fire wound (l/leg amputated above knee, facial wounds, fractured skull) | |
| 3 Oct 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Captain, 5th Field Artillery Brigade , "The Last Hundred Days", --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 5th Australian Field Artillery Brigade awm_rank: Captain awm_died_date: 1918-10-03 |
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"7306 Gunner Leslie Russell Blake, 5th Field Artillery Brigade, of East Malvern, Vic. A geological surveyor who had been part of Sir Douglas Mawson's Antarctic expedition from 1911 to 1914, Gnr Blake enlisted in July 1915 and left Australia for Egypt with the 13th Battery with the rank of Sergeant in November 1915. After being commissioned with the rank of Second Lieutenant, he arrived in France for service on the Western Front in March 1916 and promoted to Lieutenant in August 1916. Lt Blake was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for "[showing] conspicuous and consistent gallantry during the Pozieres operations" for surveying the Australian positions between Mouquet Farm and Pozieres, and in January 1917 was Mentioned in Despatches (MID). In March 1917 Lt Blake was transferred to the 2nd Division Artillery Headquarters where he assumed duties as a staff reconnaissance officer, and in September 1917, was wounded in the arm by shrapnel in the Polygon Wood area. Rejoining his unit in January 1918, Lt Blake was promoted to Captain in May 1918 and was severely wounded by German artillery fire at Hargicourt on 2 October 1918. He was evacuated to the 58th Casualty Clearing Station at Tincourt where he died the following day, aged 27..." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
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