Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

He has been recorded on different documents and registers variously as John Lebherz, John William Lebherz, William John Lebherz and William John Le Bherz as follows.

When he enlisted as John Lebherz in 1901 in the 5th QIB and his details were published with the rank and file in The Queenslander, 16 Mar 1901, he noted his N.O.K. as his father J. Lebherz, Spring Farm. In the original nominal roll for the 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen Contingent, held by National Archives, his N.O.K. was recorded as his father Jacob Lebherz, Mindah, Spring Farm. Unfortunately, the location of Spring Farm (i.e. whether in Qld or NSW) has not been able to be determined, but it is assumed to be in Qld.

National Archives Australia hold a Boer War/WW1 repatriation file, yet to be digitised, for a John William Lebherz service number 427. There is no record of a John William Lebherz enlisting/serving in WW1 and therefore it would appear to be the Boer War soldier, noting there is only one entry for Lebherz on the AWM nominal roll compiled by Murray and that is John Lebherz service number 427.

It is further complicated in that when he died on 9 Jul 1953 and was buried at Lutwyche Cemetery, his gravesite headstone lists him as John William Lebherz. However, BDM Qld birth register lists him as William John Lebherz and BDM Qld death register as William John Le Bherz. 

John William Lebherz (William John Lebherz) was born on 19 Mar 1883 in Queensland, a son to Jacob Friedrick Lebherz and Maria Friedricka Lebherz (nee Schulz). He married Margaret Mary Hennessy and they had 5 children.

(source- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 502; National Archives Australia- B 5172 Nominal Roll of 5th Queensland Imperial Bushmen Contingent Queensland Defence Force for service in South Africa, p. 7; Qld State Archives- Boer War Service Paybooks 5th QIB, Bk 3 p. 93; BDM Qld online birth and death registers).