Leslie St Clair Ward
From Our Contribution
 | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 8 May 1900 |
| Place of Birth | Perth, Western Australia |
| Death | 28 Mar 1965, aged 66 |
| Place of Death | Bedford Park, Western Australia |
| Age at Enlistment | 22 years old |
| Description |
5' 5¾" (1.67m) tall ; 130 lbs 58.967 kg ; fair complexion ; grey eyes ; fair hair |
| Occupation | Teamster |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Third avenue, Kelmscott, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr Albert Edward Ward |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 3377 |
| Date of Enlistment | 4 Apr 1917 |
| Rank | Driver |
| Unit/Formation | 10th Light Horse Regiment, 28th Reinforcement, transferred to 8th Sanitary Section / ANZAC Mounted Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 9 May 1917 ‒ 20 Jun 1917 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A15 Port Sydney |
| Date of Return | 8 Apr 1919 ‒ 8 May 1919 |
| Ship Returned On | HMT Karoa |
| Fate | Returned to Australia (medical) |
| Monument | Kelmscott War Memorial (South panel) |
| Medals |
British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
War Service
Soon after arrival in camp, Leslie was allocated to the 6th Depot Squadron of the Light Horse.
On arrival in Egypt he spent a month in the isolation camp at Moascar before joining the Mounted Division's Training Depot. Following training he was transferred to the 35th Headquarters Company of the Australian Mounted Division Train on 20 Aug 1917 having been appointed as a Driver a week earlier.
On 15 Feb 1918 he was transferred to the 8th Sanitation Section, and on 18 Sep 1918 he was attached for a month to the 2nd Signal Squadron.
On 25 Oct 1918 he was admitted to hospital in Beirut with malaria, and was evacuated from there to Alexandria by ship 22 - 24 Nov 1918. On arrival in Alexandria he entered the 21st General Hospital before being transferred to the Red Cross Convalescent Depot at Montazah, Egypt. Discharged 23 Dec 1918, he was re-admitted to 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia on 22 Jan 1919, and the next day declared to be dangerously ill.
By 6 Feb 1919 he was improved enough to be taken off the dangerously ill list, and marked for early return to Australia from Suez. Released from hospital on 7 Apr 1919.
Discharged by the 5th Military District on 7 Aug 1919.
Post War
In 1919 Les married Sophia Louisa May Otway. In 1931 Sophia remarries, to John E Jagger, having applied for a divorce from Les in Dec 1927. The divorce was granted in Jun 1928.
Electoral Roll entries - 1925 both at 43 Mars street, Carlisle, labourer; Letter on file dated 26 July 1933 places Leslie in Bulli, NSW. 1943 at 71 Bank street, Victoria Park, a storeman; 1954 at 73 Bank street, watchman; 1958 - 1963 at 74 Shaftesbury avenue, Bayswater, watchman.
He served from 14 Jun 1940 until 26 May 1942 during WW2 with Regimental No NX26031 in the 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion, having enlisted in Paddington, NSW. The 2/4th Pioneers in September 1941 arrived in Darwin and worked on defensive positions between Darwin and Adelaide River. On 14 Feb 1942 they sailed with 'Sparrow Force' to Timor, but with the fall of Singapore were forced to return to Darwin, arriving on 18 Feb 1942. Their ship was sunk by Japanese aircraft the next day. The 2/4 Pioneers remained in Darwin until after Les was discharged.
In 1943 he had returned to WA.
Notes