Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leslie was the son of Ernest Augustus CRUSE & Ellen Nellie MORRISSEY and was born on the 11th of December 1899 in Garnett Street, Broken Hill, NSW.
(his birth was not registered)

His parents were married on the 25th of January 1897 at Bishop’s Court, Adelaide, SA. Came from WA

His father was the son of Stephen WHITE & Ursula Kate CRUSE nee BENTLEY and was born in 1872 in Westminster, Middlesex, England.
His mother was the daughter of David MORRISSEY & Margaret Mary MAHER and was born on the 12th of March 1873 in Hindmarsh, SA.

Leslie was the eldest child born into this marriage of 4 children.

His mother already had a child; Thomas MORRISSEY before his parents married, so Leslie had an elder half brother.
She had spent many years in the Reformatory School and was a Nursery Housemaid in August 1890.
She had then sought refuge in the Sisters of Mercy Roman Catholic Refuge and was admitted into the Destitute Asylum on the 7th of March 1892 as she was pregnant with Thomas.

His father was a miner and had arrived in Western Australia in 1893 on board the Bonanza.

After his parents had married they moved to Broken Hill where his father had gained employment in the mine.
After Ursula & Margaret were born the family moved back to Adelaide by August 1905.

By 1907 his father was an inmate in the Home for Incurables, suffering from Neurasthenia and the family were living in Lombard Street Adelaide.
His mother gained work as a Charwoman but with 5 children to raise struggled to keep control of Leslie and she admitted him into the State Industrial School on the 8th of July 1907.

Leslie was then sent to Miss Alice Koen of Hastings Street, Glenelg on the 31st of July but absconded on the 28th of August and on his capture was returned to the Industrial School.

On the 24th of September he was sent to Mr Michael Heffernan, a farmer of Kadina, but he was returned due to misconduct.
He remained in the Industrial School for a few more years until his mother removed him and they lived in Tynte Street, North Adelaide.

Leslie later gained employment as a fireman with the South Australian Railways (SAR).

His father died on the 30th of March 1915 and they buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery; Road 4, Path 16, Aspect E, Site 33.

After the death of his father the family moved to 3 Stanley Street, Lower North Adelaide.

At the age of 18, Leslie enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 12th of February 1918 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 2917. He was later posted to the Railway Unit and embarked from Sydney on board RMS Osterley on the 8th of May 1918.

He served in France and embarked from England on board HT Port Denison on the 25th of September 1919, disembarking in Melbourne on the 13th of November and entrained to Adelaide.

Leslie was discharged from the AIF on the 7th of December 1919.

Leslie then appears to struggle with the drink and gets himself into trouble with the law on a couple of occasions before he moved to Meadows and gained employment as a labourer.

Leslie married Jessie Mavis BRENNAND on the 26th of December 1927 in Macclesfield, SA.
Jessie was the daughter of Norman Valentine BRENNAND & Louisa Scholastica GREEN and was born on the 28th of October 1905 in Adelaide.

They made their first home at Meadows and welcomed their first child; Francis Leslie, on the 17th of September 1928 in “Clifton Hospital” Norwood.

Jessie’s parent then moved from Macclesfield in 1929 and purchased a home at 16 Salter Street, Kensington and Leslie and Jessie moved in with them.

They then welcomed their second child; David Valentine, in 1932.
His mother died on the 14th of November 1933 and they buried her in the West Terrace Cemetery; Catholic Western Ground, Row NN, Site 185.

Leslie then gained work as a linesman for the PMG and they moved to Riverton.

At the age of 42, Leslie enlisted into the 2nd AIF on the 28th of May 1942 in Hamley Bridge and allotted the service number S112192 and posted to the 4 Lines of Communication Signals (PMG).

In January 1950 Leslie purchased a home at 64 Beerworth Avenue Whyalla and Leslie joined the Whyalla RSL Sub-Branch.

Leslie died on the 13th of July 1973 in Whyalla and was buried in the Whyalla Cemetery on the 18th of July; Section E, Row 24, Plot 5.

Reverend W E Heading officiated at the grave site.

Military

WW1

At the age of 18, Leslie enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 12th of February 1918 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 2917 and posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.
He listed his mother, of 3 Stanley Street, Lower North Adelaide, as his next of kin and she gave her consent for him to enlist as he was under age.

On the 27th of March he was posted to the Railway Unit Reinforcements and then on the 8th of May he was posted to the Railway Unit.

Leslie embarked from Sydney on board RMS Osterley on the 8th of May 1918 and whilst on the voyage on the 24th of May he was admitted into the ships hospital for 4 days with Dysentery.
Leslie disembarked in Liverpool on the 10th of June and marched into the Australian Railways Operating Division Depot in Longmoor Camp, Hampshire.

After 3 months of training Leslie proceeded to France on the 21st of September and was taken on strength with the 5th Broad Gauge Railway Operating Company at Conchil-le-Temple, 2 days later.

They remained here for all of October and were engaged in constructing a new pumping plant to supply the new railway yard with water.
Whilst here, Leslie suffered from Papilloma virus (HPV) and was admitted into the 39th General Hospital in Le Havre on the 9th of November.
Leslie was in hospital when the Armistice was signed on the 11th of November 1918 and after 3 weeks recovering he was discharged to the Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD) in Le Havre on the 1st of December.

Leslie rejoined his Company on the 10th of December at Conchil-le-Temple. The remainder of December was very wet and they were kept extremely busy by all the rail traffic due to the mass movement of troops.

Christmas Day was a lovely clear morning, the sun shone out on a beautiful blue sky and they a sports day followed by a lovely evening meal.
In January the weather had turned extremely cold and they experience their fist snow storm for 1919 on the 27th of January.

Three days later, on the 30th of January Leslie was admitted into the 51st General in Etaples suffering from Venereal Disease again. After 5 weeks here he was transferred to the 39th General in Le Havre on the 8th of March and was then evacuated to England and admitted into the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital in Bulford.

He was discharged from hospital a few days later and posted to No.1 Command Depot in Perham Downs. On the 14th of April Leslie was transferred to No.3 Group in Codford awaiting his embarkation back to Australia.

Leslie embarked from England on board HT Port Denison on the 25th of September 1919, disembarking in Melbourne on the 13th of November and entrained to Adelaide.

Leslie was discharged from the AIF on the 7th of December 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.

WW2

At the age of 42, Leslie enlisted into the 2nd AIF on the 28th of May 1942 in Hamley Bridge and allotted the service number S112192 and posted to the 4 Lines of Communication Signals (PMG).