HILL, Leslie Norman
| Service Numbers: | 3517, 3517B, 3517A |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 September 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 10th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mount Pleasant, South Australia, 7 October 1898 |
| Home Town: | North Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | North Adelaide Primary School |
| Occupation: | Commonwealth Telegraph Department |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Pozieres, France, 22 July 1916, aged 17 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" No known grave, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Adelaide Officers of S.A. Post, Telegraph and Telephone Department Great War Roll of Honor, Adelaide Postmaster General's Department WWI Honour Board , Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, North Adelaide Christ Church Honour Board, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Sep 1915: |
Involvement
AIF WW1, Private, 3517, 27th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, embarkation_roll: roll_number: 15 embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: |
|
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3517, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
| 1 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Adelaide, South Australia | |
| 29 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, HMAT Borda A30 | |
| 22 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3517B, 10th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 3517A, 10th Infantry Battalion | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 27th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières |
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Surname: HILL; Given Names: Leslie Norman; Date of Birth: 7 October 1898; Date of Enlistment: 1 September 1915; Trade or Calling: Commonwealth Telegraph Dept; Birth Location: Mount Pleasant; Address prior to enlistment: 112 Barton Terrace North Adelaide; Photograph sent by: Mrs George Hill
Source: State Records SA
Leslie Norman Hill was born at Mount Pleasant in the Adelaide Hills, on 7th October 1898, son of Mr George. E. Hill and Mrs Annie Hill. They later moved to the address listed on enlistment, 112 Barton Terrace North Adelaide. He was employed a telegraph clerk at the time.
Enlisted initially to the 8th Reinforcements of the 27th Battalion, on 1 September 1915; he had not even turned 18 years old at that point. It appears he over-stated his age. He embarked with the 8th Reinforcements but he was re-assigned to the 10th Battalion in the Middle East, after further training with the 7th Training Battalion. He would have been part of the reinforcements allocated to the10th as it had been split and 50% of its experienced soldiers NCO and Officers were assigned to create the core of the new 50th Battalion. He embarked with the 10th Battalion on the Transport Saxonia for Marseilles and then the rail move north to "the Nursery" sector near Armentieres.
After rotation through the "Nursery Sector" the 10th Battalion and the rest of the 1st, 2nd and 4th Divisions were relocated to the Somme in mid July 1916, ready to reinforce the British offensive that had begun disastrously on 1 July 1916.
On the 22nd July the 10th Battalion proceeded up Black Watch Alley towards Pozieres. Leslie Hill was initially reported as wounded in action, and then subsequently listed as Missing in Action. Finally a Board of Inquiry found that he had been killed in action in the preliminary move to the assembly area for the assault on Pozieres.
In the absence of any concrete evidence it can be assumed that his death was most likely the result of the heavy and relentless German shellfire.
His body was never recovered and he has no known grave. He is therefore listed on the Wall of Remembrance at Villers Bretonneux. He is also commemorated on a number of Honour Rolls in North Adelaide.
British War medal 29939
Victory Medal 29757
Commemorative Plaque 326971
Steve Larkins Dec 2013
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