LESWELL, Jack
| Service Number: | 308 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 11th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Mareeba, Queensland, Australia, 12 February 1895 |
| Home Town: | Mareeba, Tablelands, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Palestine, 15 October 1916, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Jerusalem Memorial, Jerusalem War Cemetery, Israel |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Cairns Cenotaph, Jerusalem Memorial, Mareeba War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 2 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 308, 11th Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 308, 11th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Borda, Brisbane | |
| 15 Oct 1916: | Involvement Trooper, 308, 11th Light Horse Regiment, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 308 awm_unit: 11 Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1916-10-15 |
John (Jack) Leswell
John (Jack) Leswell was born 12 February 1895 in Mareeba Qld. His mother was Mary Hannah Leswell formerly Cravino. John had 2 siblings, Eliza born 1890 and Thomas born 1898. Mary Hannah Leswell nee Peters married John Henry Finn in 1909 and died in 1959.
Sometime in 1963 Leswell Street, Mareeba was named after Pte. John (Jack) Leswell.
On his enlistment John Leswell was living in Mareeba his age was 19 years 10 months and his occupation was a labourer. His next of kin was his mother Mrs. Finn, Mareeba. His height was 5 feet 7 ½ inches, weighed 147 pounds with sallow complexion, light brown hair and his religion was Presbyterian.
Prior to his service in the 11th Light Horse Regiment, John served in the Far North Queensland Kennedy Regiment, known as the Dirty 500. Members of the Dirty 500, including John, landed on Thursday Island on 16 August 1914 from the troopship “Kanowna”, to take part in the capture of German New Guinea. An incident on board the “Kanowna” involving the firemen forced the immediate return of the troops to Townsville on 18 August 1914; John was discharged the same day.
Pte.John (Jack) Leswell was killed in action on the 15 October 1916 in the Maghara Canal zone, Eqypt. Records say that John was buried 1 mile north of .1046 NW of G. in Maghara. He is commemorated on the Jerusalem War Memorial Cemetery.
Courtesy of The Cairns District Family History Society.
Submitted 25 March 2021 by Lynette Turner
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