Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leonard William Frost was born on the 9th January 1894 at Norwood, South Australia, the 3rd child of 6 children and the eldest son of William  FROST and Fanny nee CARD.  He was christened on the 2nd March at St Martin’s Church of England at Campbelltown, South Australia.  Len had one brother, Albert, and four sisters, Freida, Laura, Olive and Winnie.  Freida died as an infant at 6 months of age.

After completing his schooling Len became a carpenter.  Prior to enlisting he served one year in the Infantry and 18 months in the Australian Medical Corps.  On the 23rd September 1914 Len enlisted for WW1 in the Australian Infantry Force aged 20 years and 8 months at Morphettville, South Australia.  The camp was opened only a month earlier on the 19th August.  At the time of enlistment, he was described as being 5 feet 4 inches tall, 131lbs, fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair.  His service number was 546 and his rank was a Private.  After completing his training he was posted to the 9th Light Horse Regiment.  His mother was listed as his next of kin and her address at the time was 129 Henley Road, Mile End, West Adelaide.

On the 1st February 1915 Len was promoted to Trumpeter and assigned to Headquarters.  Ten days later he embarked from Melbourne on the ship “HMAT Karroo.”  In mid-March Len was posted to “C” Squadron and in late March he was admitted to hospital with bronchitis.

On the 16th May 1915 Len arrived at Gallipoli.  Four days later he was evacuated sick to Malta from the hospital ships “Soudan” and “Sicilia”.  He was admitted to St Andrew’s Hospital at Malta with pneumonia.  A week later on the 27th June 1915, Len was transferred to St David’s Hospital, Malta, where he remained for 3 months.  In mid-September he was then transferred to the Ghajn Tuffieha Hospital.

Having recovered from the pneumonia Len embarked from Malta on the ship “Wandilla” on the 23rd March 1916 and disembarked 6 days later at Alexandria, Egypt.  He proceeded to the overseas base at Ghezireh and two days later was transferred to the 8th Light Horse Regiment and returned to duty at Heliopolis.

In early July Len was posted to the newly formed 3rd Double Squadron at Serapeum, Egypt.  There were 3 of these Squadrons which were dismounted units formed in Egypt in June 1916 from Light Horse Brigade Reinforcements for the defence of the Suez Canal.  Len’s Squadron was formed from 3rd Light Horse Brigade Reinforcements.  This Double Squadron was broken up in November 1916 with the men being transferred to the newly formed 4th Camel Regiment.

In early August Len was admitted to hospital at Roadhead with septic sores on his feet and was transferred to a Casualty Clearing Station at El Ferdan.  Three days later he was admitted to the 1st Australian Stationary Hospital at Ismailia with diarrhoea then a week later he was transferred to the 3rd Australian Stationary Hospital at Cairo.  Two weeks after that he was transferred to the British Red Cross Hospital at Montazah, Alexandria. Finally, on the 29th September after many weeks in hospital, Len was discharged and posted to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment at Moascar.  Two weeks later Len was transferred back to the 9th Light Horse Regiment.

Six months later, in mid-April 1917, Len was admitted to 54th Casualty Clearing Station, with an unspecified illness, where he would spend the next month.  When discharged on the 19th May he returned to duty with the 9th Light Horse Regiment then proceeded to the Command Post at Khan Yunus.

In early September that year he was transferred to the Anzac Provost Corps, the mounted Police, at Cairo where he would remain till March 1918 when he proceeded to Ramleh, temporarily attached to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force or the Desert Mounted Corps.  Len marched into Headquarters with this Force in early May then two and a half weeks later was once again admitted to hospital.  A week later he was discharged and returned to duty then 9 days later was detached from duty at Headquarters and transferred back to the 9th Light Horse Regiment.  Enroute to join the 9th LHR he was hospitalised with diarrhoea and a week later transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital at Abbrassia.  This was another long stay in hospital for Len with him finally being discharged on the 20th February 1919 & attached for duty at that same hospital.  However, this was not to be the last stay in hospital for Len as just 2 months later he was admitted again…this time with a nasal obstruction.  Two weeks later he was discharged for duty at Moascar.

In May that year he was charged for wearing civilian clothes while on active service and going absent without leave at the Port Said Rest Camp and forfeited 28 day’s pay.

In early June Len would once again find himself in hospital…admitted in early June with “onychia” which is an infection of the nail.  He was transferred to the 14th AGH at Abbrassia and discharged for duty 2 weeks later.  The next day he was granted 7 days sick leave.

After all these trips to hospital, Len was to make one more trip but this time it was not to hospital but to Australia.  On the 2nd August 1919 Len embarked from Kantara on the ship “Delta” and arrived home in Australia on the 31st August.  He was discharged on the 15th November 1919.

On the 9th January 1920, Len’s 26th birthday, he became engaged to Selina (Lena) Brighton and later that year they married.  They had a daughter Gwendoline Marjory born 12/7/1921 followed by sons, Alan Leonard 20/4/1926 and Colin William 10/7/1930.  All were born while the family was living at 7 Frederick Street, Clarence Park, South Australia.  This address remained the same for the family home up till the 1943 electoral roll which had Len still listed as a carpenter.  The electoral rolls after 1943 are not yet available to view.

In March 1936 Len was admitted to hospital after a collision with a car caused him to come off his motor cycle. 

On the 22nd July 1940 Len enlisted for WW2 at Wayville, South Australia.  His service number was S262 and his rank a Private.  He was posted to the 3rd ITD (Infantry Training Division).  His service records for WW2 are not available to view so the only information the nominal roll gave was that his last Unit was the 5th Ambulance Car Company and he was discharged on the 23rd December 1944, just in time for Christmas.  Len’s 2 sons both served in the Australian Navy, Alan serving in WW2 and the Korean War.

Len’s wife Lena died on the 14th March 1961 aged 69.  There is a listing for her at Centennial Park Cemetery, Plot General AC, Path 17, Grave 265A.

In July 1967 Len was living at 34 California Street, Nailsworth, South Australia when wrote to the Army asking if he was eligible for the Anzac Commemorative Medallion.  Len died on the 7th July 1975 aged 81 with the place of death listed as Nailsworth, South Australia.  Len and Lena now rest together in the Centennial Park Cemetery where there is a Memorial Plaque for Len in the RSL Section, Wall 107, Niche F006.

In Adelaide, South Australia, a memorial Honour Board hanging in the Unley RSL Hall pays honour to all those who fought and all those who died in WW1 and WW2, listing particular Units with their colour patches.  The 9th Light Horse Regiment is one of them.

Leonard William Frost was awarded:

Service in WW1                   Service in WW2

1914-1915 Star       6812        Service Medal

British War Medal    2300        Defence Medal

Victory Medal          2273        British War Medal

The Anzac Commemorative Medallion was instituted in 1967 by Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt.  It was awarded to surviving members of the Australian forces who served on the Gallipoli Peninsula, or in direct support of the operations from close off shore, at any time during the period from the first Anzac Day in April 1915 to the date of final evacuation in January 1916.  Next of kin, or other entitled persons, are entitled to receive the medallion on behalf of their relatives if the medallion has not been issued.

The medallion is cast in bronze and is approximately 75 millimetres high and 50 millimetres wide.  The obverse of the medallion depicts Simpson and his donkey carrying a wounded soldier to safety.  It is bordered on the lower half by a laurel wreath above the word ANZAC.  The reverse shows a map in relief of Australia and New Zealand superimposed by the Southern Cross.  The lower half is bordered by New Zealand fern leaves.  The name and initials of the recipient is engraved on the reverse.  The medallion is issued in a presentation box.

(Australian Government - Department of Defence)

Sue Smith November 2016