"Loved in Life, honoured in Death, cherished in Memory"
LEA, Charles Henry
LEE, David
LEECH, William
LEEDING, Samuel
LEGGE, James Gordon
LEGGO, Arthur Richard
In the entire history of the 46th Battalion during the First World War, the DSO was awarded only 5 times!
Eric Leith originally enlisted in Victoria in August 1915 into the 12th Reinforcements of the 14th Battalion – he was 23 years old and gave his occupation as ‘Clerk’. By the time he embarked overseas in November 1915 he held the rank of Acting Sergeant – a clear indication of his leadership abilities!
Eric arrived in Egypt early in 1916 – is March he was transferred to the 46th Battalion and shortly afterward in May he was promoted to acting CSM (Company Sergeant Major) - in June he embarked with his new battalion for France.
The 46th Battalion were engaged as support during the battle of Pozieres in August 1916 and it was here that Eric was wounded for the first time, receiving a GSW (Gun Shot Wound) to the face – after a short spell in hospital he rejoined the Battalion later that month.
Shortly afterward, Eric was wounded again, receiving a shell wound to the leg on the 31st of August – a more serious wound this time as he was evacuated to hospital in England to recover – he returned to his battalion in France in November but shortly afterwards he was evacuated sick to hospital and did not rejoin his battalion until late April 1917 – just missing out in taking part in the disastrous Battle of Bullecourt where the 46th Battalion lost 387 men killed, wounded or made prisoner! These losses meant that men had to be promoted to replace those that had been killed and on the 15th of May 1917 Eric was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
Eric’s next brush with death came on 10th of July 1917 when the 46th Battalion were occupying a position known as ‘Hill 63’ - the hill was shelled for 4 hours and Eric was wounded for the 3rd time, in the hand this time – he rejoined the battalion just over a week later.
Shortly after this Eric was detached from the 46th Battalion for a couple of periods as an instructor to the 13th AFA (Australian Field Artillery) and the Corps School – during this period he was promoted to full Lieutenant.
Eric rejoined the battalion in April 1918 and was appointed Temporary Assistant Adjundent.
Eric remained with the 46th Battalion from this period on until after the attack on the Hindenburg Line – he was wounded again during the Battle of Amiens on the 8th of August (4th time) but remained on duty, and finally received his 5th wound (he was shot in the shoulder by a German sentry with a pistol) performing the action for which he won the DSO.
After the above Eric was evacuated to Hospital in England to recover from his wound - while there he actually went AWL (Absent Without Leave) from 12 to 14 November, no doubt celebrating the end of the War, for which he was fined 2 days pay. He returned to his Battalion in France in December 1918. In March 1919 he was Mentioned in Dispatches – he finally returned to Australia in May 1919.
The History of the 46th Battalion, We Were the 46th, by Ian Polanski, mentions Eric Leith on 8 separate occasions!
Eric Leith originally enlisted in Victoria in August 1915 into the 12th Reinforcements of the 14th Battalion – he was 23 years old and gave his occupation as ‘Clerk’. By the time he embarked overseas in November 1915 he held the rank of Acting Sergeant – a clear indication of his leadership abilities!
Eric arrived in Egypt early in 1916 – is March he was transferred to the 46th Battalion and shortly afterward in May he was promoted to acting CSM (Company Sergeant Major) - in June he embarked with his new battalion for France.
The 46th Battalion were engaged as support during the battle of Pozieres in August 1916 and it was here that Eric was wounded for the first time, receiving a GSW (Gun Shot Wound) to the face – after a short spell in hospital he rejoined the Battalion later that month.
Shortly afterward, Eric was wounded again, receiving a shell wound to the leg on the 31st of August – a more serious wound this time as he was evacuated to hospital in England to recover – he returned to his battalion in France in November but shortly afterwards he was evacuated sick to hospital and did not rejoin his battalion until late April 1917 – just missing out in taking part in the disastrous Battle of Bullecourt where the 46th Battalion lost 387 men killed, wounded or made prisoner! These losses meant that men had to be promoted to replace those that had been killed and on the 15th of May 1917 Eric was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.
Eric’s next brush with death came on 10th of July 1917 when the 46th Battalion were occupying a position known as ‘Hill 63’ - the hill was shelled for 4 hours and Eric was wounded for the 3rd time, in the hand this time – he rejoined the battalion just over a week later.
Shortly after this Eric was detached from the 46th Battalion for a couple of periods as an instructor to the 13th AFA (Australian Field Artillery) and the Corps School – during this period he was promoted to full Lieutenant.
Eric rejoined the battalion in April 1918 and was appointed Temporary Assistant Adjundent.
Eric remained with the 46th Battalion from this period on until after the attack on the Hindenburg Line – he was wounded again during the Battle of Amiens on the 8th of August (4th time) but remained on duty, and finally received his 5th wound (he was shot in the shoulder by a German sentry with a pistol) performing the action for which he won the DSO.
After the above Eric was evacuated to Hospital in England to recover from his wound - while there he actually went AWL (Absent Without Leave) from 12 to 14 November, no doubt celebrating the end of the War, for which he was fined 2 days pay. He returned to his Battalion in France in December 1918. In March 1919 he was Mentioned in Dispatches – he finally returned to Australia in May 1919.
The History of the 46th Battalion, We Were the 46th, by Ian Polanski, mentions Eric Leith on 8 separate occasions!
LEMKE, Albert Walter
LENTHALL, Ronald
LE ROUX, Albert Arthur
LETHEREN, Stanley Tom
Harold, now a Commission Agent, aged 18 years 11 months, resident at Brocklesby, NSW, enlisted in the Australian Army at Albury, NSW, on the 24th March 1916. He was put into camp at Cootamundra where he volunteered to serve in the Army Medical Corps. He was posted to Liverpool and from there he was selected with others to establish a camp at Albury.
Private No.16645 Harold Gordon Levin, Australian Army Medical Corps Reinforcements, embarked on R.M.S. “Osterley” at Sydney, NSW, on the 10th September 1917 and arrived at Plymouth, England, on the 11th April 1917. Upon his arrival he was posted to a military establishment at Parkhouse, Cumbria, arriving there on the 15th April 1917.
On the 18th September 1917 Harold left Parkhouse and travelled to Southampton, where he boarded a ship for France. He arrived at A.G.H.D, Rouelles (between Paris and Dijon), France, on the 22nd September 1917. After a few weeks at Rouelles, where presumably he saw at first hand the horrendous casualties emerging from the battlefields, Harold was posted to the 1st Australian Division in the field.
Private Harold Gordon Levin (No.16645) was killed in action, aged 20 years 6 months, by a shell burst, while serving with the 1st Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, near Broodseinde Ridge, Passchendale, Ypres, Belgium, on Thursday 4th October 1917. Harold’s father, Jacob Levin (1859-1948) has written that “he was carrying in a wounded comrade named Ryan when a German shell exploded, killing them on the spot”. At least two other stretcher-bearers were killed by the same shell, viz. Private Daryl Wilson Dobbs (No.17085) (c1891-1917) and Private Robert Hampden Murphy (No.17045) (1897-1917). According to Linda Sammons - a niece of Jacob Levin - (letter dated 12.05.1974), Harold "was killed in action the first time he went out on the battle field". Harold’s death is commemorated in the 125 Tyne Cot War Cemetery at Passchendale, Belgium; the War Memorial at Brocklesby, NSW, and on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT
Courtesy of Bert Roberts
Private No.16645 Harold Gordon Levin, Australian Army Medical Corps Reinforcements, embarked on R.M.S. “Osterley” at Sydney, NSW, on the 10th September 1917 and arrived at Plymouth, England, on the 11th April 1917. Upon his arrival he was posted to a military establishment at Parkhouse, Cumbria, arriving there on the 15th April 1917.
On the 18th September 1917 Harold left Parkhouse and travelled to Southampton, where he boarded a ship for France. He arrived at A.G.H.D, Rouelles (between Paris and Dijon), France, on the 22nd September 1917. After a few weeks at Rouelles, where presumably he saw at first hand the horrendous casualties emerging from the battlefields, Harold was posted to the 1st Australian Division in the field.
Private Harold Gordon Levin (No.16645) was killed in action, aged 20 years 6 months, by a shell burst, while serving with the 1st Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, near Broodseinde Ridge, Passchendale, Ypres, Belgium, on Thursday 4th October 1917. Harold’s father, Jacob Levin (1859-1948) has written that “he was carrying in a wounded comrade named Ryan when a German shell exploded, killing them on the spot”. At least two other stretcher-bearers were killed by the same shell, viz. Private Daryl Wilson Dobbs (No.17085) (c1891-1917) and Private Robert Hampden Murphy (No.17045) (1897-1917). According to Linda Sammons - a niece of Jacob Levin - (letter dated 12.05.1974), Harold "was killed in action the first time he went out on the battle field". Harold’s death is commemorated in the 125 Tyne Cot War Cemetery at Passchendale, Belgium; the War Memorial at Brocklesby, NSW, and on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT
Courtesy of Bert Roberts