FOCKEN, Leslie Charles
| Service Numbers: | 121 588, 588 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Staff Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Royal Flying Corps |
| Born: | Kowloon, Hong Kong, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Middle Park, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Wesley College Melbourne , Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Accountant |
| Died: | Killed in aircraft combat, Somme, France, 26 October 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps On Commemorative Roll at Australian War Memorial |
| Memorials: | South Melbourne Great War Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 17 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 121 588, 5th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 588, 5th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Orvieto embarkation_ship_number: A3 public_note: '' | |
| 21 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 588, 5th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Orvieto, Melbourne | |
| 11 Feb 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Staff Sergeant, 3rd Infantry Brigade Headquarters, Discharged to the Royal Flying Corps with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant | |
| 12 Feb 1916: | Involvement Royal Flying Corps |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Lieutenant Leslie Charles Focken, of the Royal Flying Corps, was first reported missing in France, and afterwards killed on 26 October 1916. As a private, Focken went through the Gallipoli campaign until October 1915, when enteric fever overtook him, and he was invalided to England. After training in an Aviation School he gained his commission, and was sent to France. In a letter from France to his old school, dated 20 July, he wrote:
Thanks very much for the copy of the 'Wesley Chronicle' May, which I received here yesterday. Just a line to let you know what has become of me. I was sent to England from Gallipoli with enteric fever, and after recovering in December I was given six weeks furlough, and in that time gained a commission in the Royal Flying Corps. I went through my training at Brooklands and Croydon aerodromes, and took my ' wings' in May. Since then I have been out in France, and we have done useful work in connection with the recent offensive. It is entirely due to the Flying Corps that the Germans were unable to locate where we were, concentrating our forces for the push. As far as aerial observation is concerned we have kept the Germans absolutely in the dark. Just previous to the great advance we attacked not only their aeroplanes, but several of their balloons with huge success, bringing six down on our sector of the front alone. Of course, the enemy is very active with anti-aircraft guns, and have on some occasions brought some of our machines down, which under the circumstances must only be expected. However, the French and British absolutely predominate in the air now, as they do on the seas. Here we fly all day and every day ranging artillery, taking photos of trenches and batteries, dropping bombs, &c., while we only see a German machine about once a month, and then at a height of about 12 to 14 thousand feet. Usually we manage to bring one or two of them down. 1 might mention that I have now changed my name from Focken to Fawkner since joining the Imperial Forces. Hope the old School is still well in the running. Kindest regards. "(Sgd.) L. C FAWKNER, 2nd Lieut."
Focken was serving with 15 Squadron RFC flying BE2c when he died. RFC records stste he was shot through head by shrapnel from artillery when on artillery observation and the was machine wrecked on landing and shelled.
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