Leslie Reginald ANLEZARK
Per his military service record (regimental no. 4726), Leslie Reginald Anlezark was born at Orange, N.S.W. He gave his age as 26 years and 8 months, his marital status as single, and his occupation as brick-setter. His description on his certificate of medical examination was height 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall, weight 9 stone 6 lbs., with a fair complexion, grey eyes, and brown hair. He had a heart pierced by a dagger tattooed on his right upper arm. His religious denomination was Church of England. He claimed that he had three years previous military service, and had been rejected as unfit by the A.I.F. in August 1914 due to his eyesight.
He completed his medical on 24th October 1915 at Orange, and was attested by Captain Nicholas at Orange on 24th October 1915. He was given the rank of Acting Sergeant on 24th October 1915, when he joined the Coo-ees at Orange.
After completing the Coo-ee March he went to Liverpool Camp as reinforcement for the 13th Battalion, retaining his rank as Acting Sergeant.
On 21st November 1915 Acting Sergeant Anlezark was charged with being absent without leave from the Liverpool Camp. He received a warning.
A letter Acting Sergeant Anlezark wrote to Mr E. T. McNeilly, the Mayor of Orange, while he was in Liverpool Camp, was published in The Leader on 14th February 1916, in which he wrote:
“…Now for some statistics: The Coo-ees marched into camp 273 strong and seven me were added from other units, because of technical knowledge or for other reasons. Of this number unfortunately, twenty one failed to pass the severe Liverpool medical test, and sixteen, for medical or disciplinary reasons, have since been transferred to the home defence forces, or have been discharged – not a large proportion to lose in comparison with the camp experience of other units. And, although thirty men, at their own request, have been transferred to the Light Horse, it will be seen that the Coo-ees column is still substantially intact, an assertion that is further supported by the fact that every non-com but one in the present E. Company marched with the column from the west. The company sergeant major is S. E. Stephens, who, since his service with the first expeditionary force in New Guinea, has been on the ‘Farmer and Settler’ editorial staff. He went to Gilgandra to report the route march for this journal, re-enlisted there, and marched into camp with the column. The platoon sergeants are H. Davenport, of Wongarbon; L. R. Anlezark, of Orange; T. W. Dowd, of Wongarbon; and E. S. Taylor, of Wentworthville. Corporals: C. H. Maidens, of Molong; W. W. Smith, of Geurie; J. E. L. Hourigan, of Parramatta; J. G. Cameron, of Gilgandra; J. McKeown, of Gilgandra; and Pay Corporal, J. C. Gilmour, of Coonamble. Others of the men gathered in on that first route march are qualifying for the non com class; but, unfortunately, as the Coo-ees are reinforcements for a battalion already at the front, and not part of a new battalion, these ranks may only be temporary.
How well, on the whole, the Coo-ees are behaving, and how quickly they are assimilating the lessons to be learned at Liverpool, is evidenced by the fact that, although they only marched into camp on November 14, a fairly big draft has already been made upon E company to make up the 14th reinforcements for the battalion at the front…”.[1]
On his embarkation roll his address at time of enrolment was C/o Mrs R. Benfield, Railway Estate, Hurstville, N.S.W., and his next of kin was listed as a friend, Mrs L. Benfield, at the same address.
On 8th March 1916 Acting Sergeant Anlezark, along with many of the other Coo-ees, departed Sydney on the HMAT A15 Star of England, as 15th reinforcements for the 13th Battalion, and arrived in Egypt on the 11th April 1916.
He was transferred to the 45th Battalion on 19th April 1916.
On 2nd June 1916 Private Anlezark left Alexandria aboard the transport Kinfauns Castle, bound for France. He arrived at Marseilles on 8th June 1916.
Private Anlezark served with the 45th Battalion through its first action at Fleurbaix, France in July 1916, then as through the battles around Pozieres and Mouquet Farm in August, September and October 1916.
On 24th November 1916 the 45th Battalion was holding the front line trenches in the vicinity of Guedecourt in France, when Private Anlezark was evacuated to the 36th Casualty Clearing Station suffering from Influenza. He was placed aboard the 24th Ambulance Train and sent to the 12th General Hospital at Rouen, France, where he was admitted on 25th November 1916.
On 8th December 1916 he was also diagnosed to be suffering from trench fever, and was evacuated to England by the Hospital Ship Aberdonian. He was admitted to the War Hospital at Reading, England, on 9th December 1916.
On 17th January 1917 Private Anlezark was discharged from hospital, and granted leave till 1st February 1917, to report to the No. 1 Command Depot at Pernham Downs, England.
On 23rd March 1917 Private Anlezark was transferred to the 61st Battalion at Wareham, England.
On 29th April 1917 he was transferred back to the 45th Battalion, and departed Folkestone, England, for return to France.
On 30th April 1917 he marched into the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples, France.
On 4th May 1917 he rejoined the 45th Battalion when it was preparing to move at Bouzincourt, France.
Just over one month later, on 7th June 1917 the 45th Battalion was engaged in action around the Messines Ridge, Belgium, attacking German trenches. During the attack Private Anlezark was wounded in action, receiving a bullet wound to his right arm. He was evacuated to the 9th Casualty Clearing Station on 8th June 1917. He was then admitted to the 9th General Hospital at Rouen, France, on 9th June 1917.
On 14th June 1917 he was evacuated to England on the Hospital Ship St George, with a gun shot wound to his right arm.
He was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth in England on 15th June 1917.
On 25th June 1917 he was transferred to the Grove Military Hospital at Tooting, England.
On 23rd August 1917 he was moved to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, England.
On 1st September 1917 Private Anlezark was discharged from hospital, and granted leave till 15th September 1917, to report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, England.
On 20th September 1917 Private Anlezark was transferred to the No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, England.
On 19th October 1917 he was moved to the Overseas Training Brigade.
On 10th November 1917 Private Anlezark departed Southampton England bound for France. On 11th November 1917 he arrived at the 4th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Harve, France.
On 27th November 1917 he rejoined the 45th Battalion when it was training at St Quentin, France.
Less than a month later, on 24th December 1917 the 45th Battalion was training near Peronne, France, when Private Anlezark was admitted to the 11th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Influenza. On 31st December he was transferred to the 1st Casualty Clearing Station. He was discharged to duty on 4th January 1918.
Private Anlezark rejoined the 45th Battalion on 22nd January 1918, when it was training at La Clyette, Belgium.
On 28th July 1918 Private Anlezark was granted leave to Paris, France.
He returned from leave in Paris to the 45th Battalion on 7th August 1918, when the Battalion was near Hamel, France, preparing for a major offensive against German positions, which began the next day.
Private Anlezark served with the 45th Battalion for the remainder of the war.
On 27th January 1919 Private Anlezark departed Le Harve bound for England, arriving at Weymouth on 28th January 1919, where he marched into the Overseas Training Brigade.
On 19th February 1919 Private Anlezark was charged with being absent without leave from 2359 on 17th February 1919 till 1200 on 18th February 1919. He was fined two days pay.
On 22nd February 1919 he was transferred to the No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, England.
On 4th March 1919 Private Anlezark was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny with cellulitis of face.
Private Anlezark departed Southampton, England, on 6th May 1919, aboard the H.M.A.H.S. Karoola, bound for Australia.
He arrived in Sydney on 28th June 1919. He was discharged termination of period of enlistment on 18th October 1919.
[1] ‘The Coo-ees’, The Leader, 14 February 1916, p. 6. Retrieved December 17, 2016, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article117790684
1915 Coo-ee March 