Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From Michael Ganey:

Leslie was a labourer from Cranbourne Victoria. He came from a large family, which consisted of 9 brothers and one sister. Three of his brothers were also to serve during the war. Leslie was 19 years old when he enlisted at Dandenong on the 24th of March 1915. He was then assigned to the 24th Battalion when it was formed in Broadmeadows in May 1915, and he embarked as original member with the battalion on the HMAT A14 Euripides on the 8th of May 1915.

While Leslie was training in Egypt in July 1915, his father Patrick fell from a cart whilst intoxicated and died of ‘alcoholic poisoning’. This left his mother Louisa to care for her young family alone.

Leslie served at Lone Pine with the battalion until the evacuation in Dec 1915 and the battalion then moved to France. He was wounded at Mouquet Farm on the 24th of August and was evacuated. He was not able to rejoin the battalion until January 1917. When he did return, he found that one of his brothers, John, had transferred from the 23rd Battalion to be with Leslie in the 24th Battalion.

In July Leslie was detached for duty at the 6th Training Battalion. During his time here, he probably also learnt that an older brother, Patrick was taken on strength with the 59th Battalion at the end of July.

While here he also learnt that on the 30th of September 1917, Patrick had died of wounds in Belgium. He had survived only three months in the field. Two months after this, his younger brother Charles, arrived in France as a reinforcement for the 21st Battalion. Leslie finally returned to his unit at the front in February 1918. In true army style, Leslie was given leave immediately and was sent to England for two weeks. Leslie was hospitalized in March with bronchitis and then had tonsillitis in May. His brother John was wounded on the 8th of June and was evacuated to England. He never returned to France.

Leslie then served continuously with the 24th Battalion until he was killed in action during the attack on Montbrehain on the 5th of October 1918.The details of his death are unknown. October the 5th also happened to be his birthday. Eight days after Leslie was killed, his younger brother Charles was transferred to the 24th Battalion when the 21st Battalion was disbanded. Charles survived the war. All four of the Lyons brothers who served, are commemorated in the Oak Tree Memorial in Cranbourne, Victoria.
Sergeant Leslie Lyons lies in the Calvaire Cemetery in plot B14. His mother Louisa wrote the epitaph that is written on his headstone.

Have Mercy upon him Lord
And Let Perpetual Light
Shine Upon Him.