Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leslie J. Mills was born sometime during the December of 1892 (approx), to Mrs. K T Mills, in Goodwood South Australia. This is where he spent his early life, most likely went to school here as this was still his address when he enlisted. He was Christian, belonging to the Church of England and worked as a labourer. He sported a fair complexion, grey eyes, light brown hair and stood at 5 feet 5 inches.  Before his time of enlistment, Mills spent 1 and a half years in the United Tramways Rifle Club. He enlisted on the 14th of January 1915, approximately 5 months after the war started. He embarked on the 20th of April on the HMAT A20 Hororata and arrived in Egypt about 40 days after embarkation and entered the ranks as a Private. Mills was 24.

The Battalion arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, on the 6th of December. While in Alexandria, he was trained for combat. This training took him through to January 28th, when the Battalion was marched to Mena and then Cairo. Here he continued his training. On the 1st of March, he was marched back to Alexandria to board the Ionian with the 9th Battalion. Mills’ Battalion was moved again to the Dardanelles. He stayed here with nearly half the Battalion to be used as reinforcements and to help train other upcoming Battalions (this later half was used in the August offensive at Gallipoli).

It is unknown which vessel he travelled on to arrive at Gallipoli, but, being used as reinforcements, he arrived in Anzac Cove on the 31st of August. On this same day, he received a gunshot wound to the face. He was placed in the 1st Casualty Clearing Station, before being transferred still on the 31st of August. Mills was moved from the Casualty Clearing to Mudros. This would have occurred during the night to avoid enemy fire. Once in Mudros, on September 8th, he was admitted to the First Australian General Hospital and placed in Ward Three. He was once again moved, back to Cairo, and placed in Helonan Casualty Clearing. Mills spent several moths recovering in hospital.

On the 25th of October (1915) he re-joined the 10th Battalion from hospitals to performing light duties. He was shipped to Alexandria on the 29th of October where they provided assistance in training to the newly formed 50th Battalion.

The 29th of March 1916 lead him to join the British Expeditionary Forces in Alexandria, and on the 3rd of April they transferred to Marseilles, in France. He then moved to the Picardy region in France and for the next 6 months was fighting on the front lines, participating in trench warfare. Mills was transferred on the 10th of July 1917, to the First Australian Signal Company, where he became a Sapper (designated to dig trenches and provide engineering support).

From the 18 of August to the 30th of August 1917 he was on leave in the UK before returning to France where he was once again involved in trench warfare. On the 29th of October he was admitted via the 3rd Field Ambulance to the 6th Casualty Clearing Station with scabies. Within days (3rd of November) he was transferred by ambulance train to Rorieu, France with dermatitis. On the 5th of November Mills was sent to the convalescent depot, still Rorieu. From there, Mills was transferred to the convalescent depot on the 15 of November 1917.

On the 15 of December, he was marched to Havie before being discharged to the base of the 10th Battalion. He re-joined the Battalion on the 28th of December. From January 1918 through to October 1918, Mills was involved in working parties, training, participated marching before being moved to Tourna. Hear he was involved in Battalion relief and trench warfare. He was on leave, once again to the UK, from the 16th of October to the 1st of November, before returning to France.

17th January 1919, Mills was transferred from the front to the UK in preparation to be transferred to Australia. On the 21st of February he embarked on the Kildonan castle at Davenport UK. He disembarked in Adelaide on the 7th of May 1919. Mills was discharged a few months after, on the 6th of July.

For his efforts in the war, he received a Victory Medal, a British War Medal and a 1914/1915 Star.

Leslie Mills was trained in Egypt, fought in Gallipoli and France. He performed many tasks and was helpful to the war effort throughout his time as an Australian soldier. He was admitted twice, including once being shot, and spend nearly 140 months overseas. Mills was brave, daring, resilient and a survivor. Little is known about him past his date of discharge, but he managed to survive the First World War.