Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Leslie (Les) George William Caust was born on the 19th January 1889 at Summertown, SA. He was the son of Francis (Frank) James Caust and Annette Caust (nee Kennings). Les’s father was an undertaker in the Chain of Ponds and Summerton areas of South Australia.

Les had six siblings. They were Louis Victor ( b 1886 ), Edgar Horace ( b 1890 ), Ina Miriam ( b 1893 ), Arnold Francis Harcourt ( b 1896), Reginald Allan (b 1897) and Bessie Alva (b 1900).

Schooling

Les commenced his schooling at Uraidla and was an unpaid monitor at the Uraidla School from 1902-1905. He passed the Education Department Candidates Examination in 1904. He was confirmed as a Pupil Teacher in May 1906 and attended The Pupil Teachers' School in Grote Street, Adelaide in 1906 and 1907 (became Adelaide High School in 1908). In September 1906 he passed the School of Arts examination in First Grade Model Drawing. Les passed the Junior (1908) and Senior Examinations (1909). He was also described in a later AHS Magazine article as a good cricketer.

In 1908 and 1909, Les was a pupil teacher at Uraidla. In August 1909 he was promoted from third grade to fourth grade. He played football (captain) and cricket for Summerton and was secretary of the Literary Society.

Sadly for the Caust family, Les’s mother, Annette, passed away in July 1909 after a short illness.

Adelaide University

Les studied at the University Training College (Teachers) in 1910-1911 and continued to study toward his Bachelor of Arts at the University of Adelaide until he enlisted for WWI in 1915. After WWI he returned to his studies and gained his BA in 1921.

Adelaide University Sport

Rowing

Les rowed for Arts III in the Adelaide University Schools regatta held in August 1910.

Cricket

Les played for the Adelaide University Cricket Club in the 1910/11 to 1912/13 seasons. In his first year he played all his games for the B Grade team. A very useful batsman and occasional bowler and wicket keeper, he performed well throughout the season but was always unlikely to gain promotion into the established and talented A grade team. Les finished the season with 335 runs at an average of 27.9. At the end of the second completed round of matches University were on top of their Division 1 and were to play leaders of Division 2 (East Torrens) in the Grand Final.

In the hard fought B Grade Grand Final held in late April 1911 on the St Peter's College Oval, Les was the third highest scorer for University with 33 from a first innings total of 189. Unfortunately the side lost the B Grade grand final narrowly to East Torrens in a very exciting finish.

Les played 8 of the 10 A Grade games in the 1911/12 seasons, however he only made it to the crease on 5 occasions and in 1912/13 seasons he played the first 2 games in A Grade having a single innings and failing to score. At this stage his teaching duties may have interfered with his cricket and his last few games for the Club were in B Grade, without much success.

Football

Les played A Grade football for the Adelaide University Football Club in 1911 & 1912 (the first two years of the Amateur League). He was a member of the 1911 Premiership side. Les also represented Adelaide University in the Intervarsity matches held in 1911 and 1912.
Pre War Career

In 1912 Les was appointed an Assistant Teacher at Le Fevre Peninsula District High School (Semaphore South), this was followed by Assistant Teacher positions at Adelaide High School (Jan-May 1913) and Port Pirie District High School from May 1913 until May 1915 when Les enlisted for WWI. While at Pt Pirie, the Inspector’s comments on Les were “earnest, anxious, intelligent, influential, effective in teaching and discipline, a fine sportsman’.

World War I

Les enlisted in the AIF on the 17th May 1915 as part of the 8th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion. He was 26 years old, 5’10¼ ” and weighed 171lbs. His trade on enlistment was classified as School Teacher.

Les embarked at Adelaide for overseas on the 2nd September 1915 aboard the Morea. . He injured his knee on Lemnos Island off Gallipoli in November 1915 and the knee continued to cause him trouble through the war. He joined the 43rd Battalion on 20th November 1916 and was appointed a Lance Corporal on 1st March 1916 and then Corporal on 7th August 1916.

On 28th October 1916 Leslie was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 10th Battalion and on 1st December 1917 to Lieutenant. Les was wounded on 25 July 1916 at Pozieres with a gunshot wound to the hand and spent 2 days in hospital before being classified as fit. He was one of the 350 men who were killed, wounded or missing at Pozieres.

Les returned to Australia aboard the Zealandic, disembarking in Adelaide on 20th August 1919. His appointment in the AIF was terminated on 29th October 1919.

Les’s brother Arnold was a Private in the 27th and later in the 10th. He was wounded in 1916 and in August 1918 he was taken to the Beauford War Hospital, Bristol, UK with appendicitis. He returned to Australia on the ‘City of York’ in February 1919.

Post War Career and Family Life

On returning to Adelaide, Les was appointed an assistant teacher at Woodville High School and from January 1920 he was appointed an assistant teacher at Norwood High School.

Les married Eva Janet Dunstone in Port Adelaide in 16th December 1919.

Les became a Senior Master at Norwood High School in 1921 and Deputy Head Master in 1929. Having returned to his studies, Les gained his BA in December 1921.

Les and Eva had a daughter Margaret Kennings (born 15 October 1920), a son David Kennings (born 29 November 1922), a daughter Gwenyth Christina (born in 2nd March 1926) and a son Leslie James (born 1 June 1930).

After 18½ years of service as a teacher and aged 41 years, Les was appointed a School Inspector in September 1930. He was inspector of the Mid North District and was based at Port Pirie and lived on Balmoral Road, Port Pirie.

Les became a member of the Kingston Park Golf Club while at Port Pirie and his name regularly appeared in the newspapers in relation to golf competitions.

In August 1938 it was reported that Les was playing much better golf this season at Port Pirie.

From January 1940 to June 1945, Les was based at Kadina on Yorke Peninsula and he and the family were living at Winter Street, Kadina East. Les became an active member of the Kadina Golf Club.

In 1940 Les and Eva’s elder daughter Margaret was studying toward a Bachelor of Arts at Adelaide University. In May 1944 she became engaged to Alec, the eldest son of Mr & Mrs AG Ward of Kadina. They were married in September 1944. They had a son born on the 19th December 1948.

Les’s father, Frank, passed away in June 1942. In mid 1945, Les and the family moved to Toorak Gardens, Adelaide, SA.

Les and Eva’s elder son, David Kennings commenced studying medicine at Adelaide University in 1941. He enlisted as a Private on the 7th October 1941. As his WWII record has not been digitised we do not know any further details of his WWII service. He gained his MB BS from Adelaide University in 1946. In February 1947 he married Frances Therese (Tess) Kinnane of Colonel Light Gardens, SA. The couple had a son born on the 14th December 1947.

In February 1948, Les and Eva’s younger daughter, Gwenyth, married Dr John H Slade, the son of Mr and Mrs JHG Slade of Burke Street, Tusmore. They had a daughter, Christina, on the 29th June 1953.

Les was appointed assistant superintendent of primary schools in December 1948.

In May 1952, Les and Eva’s younger son, Leslie became engaged to Patricia Noyes, the daughter of Mr & Mrs AT Noyes of Beulah Park. The couple married in May 1954. Leslie James Caust gained his MB BS from Adelaide University in 1954.

In January 1954, aged 65 years, Les retired and his views on the changes in education were published.

Death

Tragically, less than a year after his retirement, Leslie George William Caust died in Adelaide, SA on 14th October 1954 at his residence at 115 Watson Ave, Toorak Gardens, SA. He was buried at Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide. Eva Janet Caust died in 1965 aged, 75 years.

Family Legacy

Margaret Kennings Ward was awarded an AM for services to education in the Australia Day honours list of 1980. She passed away on the 10th September 1986. She had been living at Toorak Gardens, Adelaide, SA.

Dr David Kennings Caust passed away on the 23rd August 1968, aged 45. He and Tess were the parents of Martin, Josephine, Catherine, Lesley and Margaret.

Gwenyth Christina Slade became a senior tutor in Economics at Flinders University, South Australia. Her husband Dr John H Slade (MB BS, Adelaide University, 1946) was a specialist in the field of ophthalmology. They lived at Unley Park, Adelaide. Their daughter, Emeritus Professor Christina Slade, was Vice-Chancellor of Bath Spa University from January 2012 to August 2017.

Dr Leslie James Caust moved to Victoria and was a member of the ear, nose and throat unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. He lived at 635 Walpple Street, Kew, Victoria and passed away in 1999.

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.