Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leslie Harford was born in approximately the second half of 1899 in Broken Hill, New South Wales. Harford’s next of kin was his mother, Mrs. Catherine Harford who he was living with. His occupation before the war was a Butcher and he was not married. According to the attestation papers, his religious Denomination was Roman Catholic. He was 20 years and 5 months old being 5 foot 8 ¾ inches and weighed a total of 168 lbs. His chest measurement was 39.35 inches. His skin colour was fair, eye colour was blue and hair colour being the same as his complexion. 

Harford enlisted 27 May 1915 and embarked overseas 14 September 1915 from Adelaide to the Middle East. He was taken on strength on the 18th of December 1915 at Mudros, marking the beginning of his service to the 9th Light Horse Regiment.

He was sent to the hospital three times due to illness on the 14th of January, 30th of April and 14th of July 1916. He fought in the Battle of Romani 4th to the 5th of August 1916 in the Sinai Desert where the Ottoman forces tried to overtake the Suez Canal. Harford’s Light Horse Regiment was significant in defending and fighting dismounted against the Ottomans who advanced through the sand dunes. The 9th Light Horse was also the counteroffensive, pursuing them out of the Suez Canal helping them bring victory.

Returning to camp, Harford showed disobedience and insolence in training while regularly getting drunk. He was failed to follow an order and was awarded 14 days of Field Punishment No. 2 on 28th of October 1916. Harford was then awarded another 14 days for ‘Hot Cocking’, meaning using the gun dangerously and carelessly in the Moascar camp in Egypt, February 1917. He forfeited pay in July 1917 for a misdemeanour

He suffered from illness and infection during 1917. He was sent to the hospital  1 June 1917 with an infected ulcer and was discharged from the 36th Stationary Hospital to Romani for training on the 19th of June 1917. Within a couple of days Harford had a contused back and was sent to the hospital 1 July 1917. Not only did he suffer from a contused back, but he also contracted catarrh, an inflammation of mucous membranes less than a month later.  He returned to his unit at the beginning of October.

During 1918, Harford experienced many illnesses and injuries such as dysentery, an inflammatory foot and infection resulting him in spending most of the year in hospital. On the 19th of February 1918, Harford was diagnosed with dysentery at the 14th General Hospital A.I.F. The medical report stated that Harford’s stool had signs of blood and mucus and inflammatory cells, all signs of dysentery. He was discharged on the 12th of March but only lasted 7 days before the dysentery came back and was sent back to hospital. Harford’s health was improving gradually, gaining 1 and ½ lbs (0.68kg) in one week and was discharged on the 12th of March 1918.

On the 21st of March 1918, only 9 days past after being in the hospital, Harford was sent to the 14th Australian General Hospital because of an inflammatory foot tissue. During a boxing match for the military training, he knocked the skin off under his right toe resulting in a small superficial bruise on the sole of his foot. On the 23rd of March, he was discharged to the rest camp at Moascar Egypt to recover more.

 Leslie Harford was formally discharged on the 3rd of October 1919 from the Australian Imperial Force.