Arthur, Leslie Gordon (1786)
Place of Birth: Melbourne, VIC
Age: 24 years 1 month
Enlistment Details: Wednesday, 9 February 1916 – Melbourne, VIC
Service Number: 1786 view online service record
Address:
153 Stokes Street
Port Melbourne, VIC
Next of Kin:
Wilhemena Arthur (sister)
Market Street
South Melbourne, VIC
Embarkation Details:
Date: Wednesday, 16 August 1916
Ship: RMS Orontes
Port: Melbourne, VIC
Unit: 38th Infantry Battalion – 2nd Reinforcements
Fate:
KIA: Monday, 1 January 1917
Place: France
Private, 38 Infantry, killed in action 1 January, 1917, France, aged 25, commemorated Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, France.
Sister: Miss Wilhelmena Arthur (parents deceased), born South Melbourne. Enlisted as a 24-year-old rubber worker with his sister at 153 Stokes Street, later Mrs W. McBRIDE, 46 Brooke Street, Albert Park. He was posted as Missing, on 1 January, 1917, change to Missing and Dead or Captured around a week later, finally as killed in action as at the original date in January of the following year.
Additional research by Brian Membrey
1916 ‘Send-off to Soldiers.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 27 May, p. 2. , viewed 01 May 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91166566
L Arthur was listed on the Swimming Club Roll of Honour, 25 November 1916.
1916 ‘ROLL OF HONOR.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 25 November, p. 2. , viewed 04 Nov 2016, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article91164781
1918 ‘KILLED IN ACTION.’, Port Melbourne Standard (Vic. : 1914 – 1920), 6 April, p. 2. , viewed 16 Apr 2018, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88368936
1 Comments
Brian Membrey
“I knew L. G. Arthur. We called him “Les” for Leslie. He came from Port Melbourne and was about 23 years of age. On New Year’s Eve, he and 12 others went out on a “silent Raid”, that is without any previous artillery preparation. Only two of the 13 came back, viz. Sergeant (now Lieut) Rowe and Corporal (now Lieut) Pool. Two of the 11 missing men, Wemblcam (a Swiss) and Robson have since been heard of as prisoners in German hands, The raiding party got up to the German wire. The officer (Lieut. Cooley) fired an S.O.S signal for our artillery to open fire and at that moment received a bullet wound. He fired a second S.O.S. and was again shot, this time fatally. He said “I’m done for” and handed his revolver to Corporal (now Lieut.) Pool. I have practically no doubt that Arthur and most of the others were killed, battered to pieces by machine gun”. Eye witness : Corporal (now Lieut.) Pool, 16/02/1917