3337 Private Leslie John ABBERTON
Born 1898 to
Thomas ABBERTON and his wife Louisa NICHOLS, at Goulburn, NSW. He was their
sixth child and fourth son. His three older brothers also served and when he
enlisted both his parents were deceased.
Enlisted 1st
AIF on 7 March 1917 and gave his age as
19yrs 10mths, with an occupation of Junior Porter. A description shows that he
had blue eyes and brown hair and stood 5’6” tall.
Leslie embarked from Sydney on the 9 May 1917 and arrived in
Suez on 20 June 1919. While in the Middle East he served with the 2nd
Light Horse Machine Gun Squadron. His
records show that he spent time with a Training Regiment before transferring to
the Machine Gun Squadron on the 20 August 1917. He was admitted to hospital,
with influenza on 9 October 1917 and he re-joined his unit on 16 October 1917.
I do not know what battle Leslie was wounded, as the Red Cross records give
varying places but on 10 November 1917 he suffered gunshot wounds to his legs.
The reading of his Casualty Form – Active Service is very stark, detailing the
amputation of his left foot, being dangerously ill and then on 16 November 1917
he is transferred to 14th Australian General Hospital, Abbassia and
there both his legs were amputated. Reading his medical records, Leslie was
dangerously ill from this time until he succumbed to exhaustion, following
gunshot wounds, between 4-5pm on 30 November 1917. His length of service being
War & 4 months. He was buried in the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt on
1 December 1917, Row M, Grave 151. He is also listed on panel 180, of the Roll
of Honour, Australian War Memorial. One of so many young men to die in the
service of his country.
Today, 30th November 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of my uncle's death.Lest We Forget.
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