S12522
CORNELL, Leonard Henry
| Service Number: | 3591 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 February 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 50th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 17 August 1887 |
| Home Town: | Kensington, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Merchant |
| Died: | 15 March 1957, aged 69 years, cause of death not yet discovered, place of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Rowing Club WW1 Pictorial Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 1 Feb 1916: | Enlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 1917: | Involvement Private, 3591, 50th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '19' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Themistocles embarkation_ship_number: A32 public_note: '' | |
| 4 Aug 1917: | Embarked Private, 3591, 50th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Themistocles, Melbourne | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement Lieutenant, 50th Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Leonard Henry Cornell's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
Prior to WW1 Leonard Cornell lived at Salop Street, North Kensington with his mother, Eliza Cornell. They were both a part of the Congregational form of Catholicism. Information regarding other family members including siblings and Father is unknown. At age 29, Leonard left everything he knew behind to join the Australian Imperial Force.
25 days after enlisting in the army, Cornell was sent to training camp (as part of the doubling of the AIF) with the 50th Infantry Battalion. This took place in Egypt, near the Great Pyramids, as the military camps in England were deemed unsuitable due to overcrowding. Around 50% of these recruits were veterans from the 10th Battalion. The battalion was mostly composed of men from South Australia.
Cornell along with his unit fought in their first major battle together at Mouquet Farm (after arriving on 11 June 1916) between 13th and 15th August where the unit suffered severely. He also took part in the second attack at that location on 3rd September. The remainder of 1916 was spent alternating between front-line duty and labouring behind the line continung throughout winter of 1916-17. In early 1917, the Battalion were involved in the advance following the German retreat to Hindenburg Line, attacking at Noreuil, France on the 2nd of April. Later in 1917, the Australian military redirected focus to the Ypres sector in Belgium. At this location Cornell was active in the battle of Messines which took place from 7-12 June 1917 and the battle of Polygon Wood on 26th of September. On the 29th November 1917 Cornell was appointed Sergaent.
In early 1918, the German Army launched a major offensive on the Western Front. The 4th division (including the 50th infantry battalion) were called to defend positions on the River Ancre in France. These major battles continued and on ANZAC Day of 1918 the 50th participated in the ‘now-legendary’ attack at Villers-Bretonneux. It is on this day that the then, Sargeant Leonard Henry Cornell was wounded in action. He received gunshots to the left eye and head. As soon as hospital clearance was granted Cornell returned to battle
He was granted leave to work at Messrs Columbia Gramaphone Company in London for 3 months from 19.5.19 to 19.8.19. He returned to Australia 23/6/19.
Leonard passed away at the age of 69, for unknown reasons on the 13th of March 1957, he was cremated at Centennial Park Cemetery.
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