The AIF Project

Leslie William HART

Regimental number865
Place of birthBallarat, Victoria
SchoolBeaconsfield and Budgetown, Western Australia
ReligionMethodist
OccupationFarmer
AddressOakley Grange, Cuballing, Western Australia
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation22
Height5' 9"
Weight147 lbs
Next of kinFather, Frederick William Hart, Oakley Grange, Cuballing, Western Australia
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date14 July 1915
Place of enlistmentBlackboy Hill, Western Australia
Rank on enlistmentCorporal
Unit name32nd Battalion, C Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/49/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A2 Geelong on 18 November 1915
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll32nd Battalion
Other details from Roll of Honour CircularOne of three brothers who enlisted, one of whom is still living.
FateKilled in Action 20 July 1916
Age at death23
Age at death from cemetery records22
Place of burialFromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery (Plot III, Row D, Grave No 3), France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
120
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Frederick and Jane HART, 62 Kingsley Street, Elwood, Victoria. Native of Cuballing, Western Australia
Family/military connectionsBrothers: 2586 Pte Percy HART, 44th Bn, returned to Australia, 1 June 1919; 2578 Pte Clarence Edgar HART, 44th Bn, returned to Australia, 24 January 1918 (died as a result of war service at Cuballing, Western Australia).
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Disembarked Suez, 18 December 1915.

Admitted to 15th Field Ambulance, 14 March 1916; rejoined Bn, Duntroon Plateau, 28 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Reported missing, 20 July 1916.

Listed as died whilst Prisoner of War (no date).

List of British Dead (Paybook handed to German authorities from N.O.A.O.K. 6) forwarded by Comite International de la Croix Rouge at Geneva to H.M. Minister at Berne. Assistant Adjutant General rules to be reported as 'Killed in action, 20 July 1916'.

German report, 2 August 1916: 'austr. Sold. Hart, L.W. (865, Erk.Mrk.) 32.Bn. am 19.7.16 in Gegen Fromelles gefallen.'

Note, Red Cross File No 1281003: 'Disc received from Germany and forwarded to next of kin. 11.6.17.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Originally listed as 'No Known Grave' and commemorated at V.C. Corner (Panel No 5), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles; subsequently (2010) identified, and interred in the Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery, France.
SourcesNAA: B2455, HART Leslie William
Red Cross file 1281003

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