Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leonard was the son of Charles ERROCH & Fanny Lovell SMITH and was born on the 29th of February 1896 in Broken Hill, NSW.

His parents were married in 1895 in Broken Hill, NSW.

His father was the son of Thomas Stewart ERROCH & Nancy WHARMBY and was born on the 16th of July 1871 in Ardwick, Manchester, Lancashire, England.
His mother was the daughter of John Samuel SMITH & Eliza BUGG and was born on the 29th of December 1876 in North Adelaide, SA.

Leonard was the eldest child born into the family of 3 children.

His father had arrived in Australia on board the Georjina around 1890 and moved to Broken Hill, NSW.

Leonard gained a little sister; Gladys Maude, on the 20th of June 1898 in Broken Hill before they moved to 238 Gouger Street, Adelaide and his father gained employment as a labourer.

Leonard then gained another sister; Doris Lovell on the 16th of July 1900 in Adelaide.

When Leonard was just 3 years old his father enlisted into the newly formed 5th South Australian Imperial Bushmen Contingent on the 28th of January 1901 and was allotted the regimental number 269.
He embarked from Pt Adelaide on board the transport Ormazan at 4.30pm on Saturday the 9th of February 1901 and disembarked in Port Elizabeth on the 23rd of March.
He fought in South Africa for 15 months before embarking from Cape Town on the 28th of March 1902.

His father finally disembarked in Adelaide on the 20th of May 1902 and with the 5th Contingent being disbanded, was discharged from service.

By the following year his father had gained employment at the Islington Railway Workshops as a labourer and they moved to 2 Stamford Court, Adelaide.
In 1903 Leonard and his sister Gladys attended the Sturt Street Primary School.

His father had now begun to drink spirits and when he did he used to go out of his mind.
One of these occasions began on Saturday the 31st of October 1903 and he never went to work on the Monday or Tuesday of the following week.
He left home early morning on Wednesday the 4th of November and Leonard and his sister went to school.

During the day his father had purchased a revolver and began heavily drinking "pinkey" (cheap red wine).
Late that evening his father shot himself in Wright Street, Adelaide and was taken to the Adelaide Hospital by Constable J. T. Dempsey.
His father never regained consciousness and died the following day, on the 5th of November 1903 about noon.

There were very extensive fractures to his head and right temple, and marks of gunpowder about his face.
An Inquest was conducted into the circumstances connected with the death of his father at the Adelaide Hospital by the City Coroner, Dr. W. Ramsay-Smith, on Friday morning.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that his death was due to a pistol shot wound, self inflicted, whilst he was of unsound mind from drink.

They buried him in the West Terrace Cemetery on the 6th of November 1903; Road 1, Path 11, Plot 14S.
He was buried with Laurente JACOB who was buried on the 31st of May 1887, aged 68.

Leonard’s mother then gained employment as a machinist and they moved to Pt Pirie.

His mother married James MCCONNACHY on the 7th of April 1910 in Pt Pirie, SA.
James was the son of James Trail MCCONNACHY & Ellen O’DONOGHUE and was born on the 16th of May 1880 in Jamestown, SA.
James was a fireman.

Leonard then attended to Pt Pirie Public School and in 1914 Leonard joined the 81st Infantry Battalion (Wakefield).

At the age of 19, Leonard enlisted into the AIF on the 18th of January 1915 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 1080.
Leonard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Borda on the 23rd of June 1915, disembarked in Egypt and marched into Heliopolis Camp.

He served at Gallipoli and in Egypt and after 3 years overseas he embarked from Suez for Australia on the 12th of July 1918 on board HT Port Darwin.

Leonard disembarked in Sydney on the 18th of August and entrained to Adelaide.
He was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 4th of October 1918.

Leonard returned to Pt Pirie and played football for Solomontown.

Leonard married Edith ROGERS on the 6th of March 1930 in the Baptist Manse, Pt Pirie.
By 1939 they had moved to 79 Prince Street, Peterborough and Leonard was employed as a labourer.
In 1942 they had moved to 8 Victoria Street, Peterborough and Leonard was employed as a Striker and Leonard had joined the Peterborough RSL Sub-Branch.

By 1970 they had moved to 22 Orient Road, Kensington Gardens.

Edith died on the 5th of December 1980 and was buried in the Centennial Park Cemetery; General AE, Path 2, Grave 83 on the 8th of December 1980.

Leonard died on the 1st of November 1985 and was buried on the 5th of November in the Centennial Park Cemetery; General AE, Path 2, Grave 83.

Military

At the age of 19, Leonard enlisted into the AIF on the 18th of January 1915 in Oaklands and was allotted the service number 1080.
He listed his mother, Mrs Fanny MCCONNACHY, of Solomontown, Pt Pirie, as his next of kin.

He was posted to the Base Light Horse, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, 6th Reinforcements.

Leonard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Borda on the 23rd of June 1915, disembarked in Egypt and marched into Heliopolis Camp.
After a further 2 months of training he embarked for the Dardanelles and was taken on strength with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment at Destroyer Hill on the 2nd of October and posted to A Squadron.
Ten days later Leonard suffered from Typhoid and Influenza and was admitted into the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance and transferred to the casualty clearing station on ANZAC Beach.

On the 14th of October he was evacuated on board HS Valdivia to Mudros and then evacuated to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Heliopolis on the 18th.
Leonard spent 5 days here before being discharged to Heliopolis Camp on the 23rd.
Then on the 31st of October Leonard suffered from Appendicitis and was admitted into the 1st Australian General Hospital in Heliopolis.
Six days later he was discharged to the Convalescent Hospital in Helouan and then on the 8th of November he was transferred to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Ghezireh.

On the 6th of December Leonard was transferred to the Convalescent area of the hospital and then 6 days later he was transferred to the Convalescent Hospital in Helouan.
Leonard only spent 3 days here before he was discharged to Heliopolis Camp on the 15th of December.
He spent Christmas 1915 at Heliopolis Camp and then on the 17th of January he suffered from Appendicitis and was admitted into the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Heliopolis.
Eight days later he was discharged to Mena Camp, near Giza, and on the 1st of March he was transferred to the 1st Light Horse Reserve Regiment at Heliopolis.

Leonard rejoined his Regiment on the 20th of March at Girga and on the 21st of April they moved by rail to Deirout.
They then moved to Kantara by the 17th of May then onto Hill 70 and then Romani by the 26th.
Whilst they were in camp at Romani a Turkish Aeroplane dropped 10 bombs on them on the 1st of June killing 5 men and wounding 20 others. It also killed 36 horses and wounded 9 horses and caused a stampede in the camp.

On the 3rd of June Leonard was thought to have contracted Small Pox so was admitted and quarantined at the New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance at Bir-et-Maler for 10 days and then rejoined his Regiment in Romani Camp.

July was spent as support for the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade who were carrying out reconnaissance around Bir Salmana and they then moved back to Romani in August and supplied patrols every 3rd day the Hill 110.

They played a significant role in turning back the Turkish advance on the canal at the battle of Romani on the 4th of August. In ensuing days they participated in the immediate follow-up of the defeated Turks, but were soon withdrawn to rest.
On the 20th of August Leonard suffered from debility and 2 days later was admitted into the 31st General Hospital in Port Said.
He remained here for 2 weeks before being discharged to light duty.

Leonard rejoined his Regiment on the 7th of September at Romani Camp and by mid September they had moved to Bir-el-ABD.
Their next move was to Kantara and it was here on the 9th of October that Leonard suffered from Bronchitis and was admitted into the 1st Light Horse Field Ambulance and then transferred to the 31st General Hospital in Port Said.
Four days later he was transferred to the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital for 9 days before being discharged to Base Details.

Leonard rejoined his Regiment at Kantara on the 26th of October and then they rejoined the Allied advance across the Sinai in November and were subsequently involved in the fighting to secure the Turkish outpost on the Palestine frontier - Maghdaba on the 23rd of December 1916.
Christmas 1916 was spent at El Risa before they moved to Rafa and were involved in the Battle at Rafa on the 9th of January 1917.

By February they had moved to El Arish and on the 9th of February Leonard violated camp orders when he rode horse through the camp in heavy sand at Bir-el-ABD. He was awarded 96 hours Field Punishment No.2.
On the 17th of March they moved out from Bir-el-ABD camp and moved to Mazar and on the same day Leonard suffered from Tonsillitis & Diphtheria and was admitted into the 20th Casualty Clearing Station.
Two days later he was transferred by Hospital Train to the 24th Stationary Hospital in Kantara.

Leonard spent 2 weeks here before being transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia on the 4th of April for 6 days.
He was then discharged to the 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar and then rejoined his Regiment at Shellal on the 23rd of April.
The following day he suffered from Diarrhoea again and was admitted into the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital in El Arish.

He rejoined his Regiment at Shellal 4 days later and they were then involved in reconnaissance and patrols and by May they had moved to Heseia, near Sausage Ridge.
They then moved to Tel-el-Fukhari and on the 8th of June Leonard was detached to D.A.D.O.S (Dismounted and Dismounted Officers), 1st Light Horse Brigade Headquarters at Kazar.

They moved to Gamli in July and to Marakeb in mid August. They then moved to Fukhari on the 19th of September for 2 weeks before returning to Marakeb beach camp on the 3rd of October.
It was here on the 20th of October that Leonard suffered from Sandfly Fever at and was admitted into the 65th Casualty Clearing Station for 2 days before being transferred by Ambulance Train to the 44th Stationary Hospital in Kantara.
The following day he was transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia where he spent 12 days before being transferred to the Convalescent Depot on the 4th of November.

Eight days later he was discharged to 1st Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar, but on the 19th he suffered from Bronchitis and was admitted into the 2nd Australian Stationary Hospital.
Six day later he was discharged back to the Training Regiment and then rejoined his Regiment on the 30th of November at Ayun Kara.

All December was spent at Ayun Kara, even Christmas Day.

With the capture of Gaza, back in November, the Turkish position in southern Palestine collapsed. The 3rd Light Horse Regiment participated in the advance to Jaffa that followed, and was then committed to operations to clear and occupy the west bank of the Jordan River.
They were then involved in the raids at Amman on the 24th of February 1918 before moving onto Jurusalem in early March.

On the 16th of March Leonard suffered from Haematuria (blood in the urine) and was admitted into the 66th Casualty Clearing Station at Moablaka.
He was then transferred to the 75th Casualty Clearing Station and onto the 26th Casualty Clearing Station at El Arish.
On the 19th he was admitted into the 43rd Stationary Hospital at El Arish and then transferred to the 24th Stationary Hospital at Kantara, 3 days later.
Leonard spent 3 days here before being transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Port Said.

After a further 2 months here he was discharged to the DMC (Desert Mounted Corps) Rest Camp at Port Said on the 1st of June.
Leonard remained here until the 11th of July hen he marched out to Suez and embarked for Australia the following day on board HT Port Darwin.

Leonard disembarked in Sydney on the 18th of August and entrained to Adelaide.
He was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 4th of October 1918 and awarded the 1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals.