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 24^th October 1915 at Orange, and was attested by Captain Nicholas at Orange on 24^th October 1915.  He was given the rank of Acting Sergeant on 24^th 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 13^th Battalion, retaining his rank as Acting Sergeant.

On 21^st 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 14^th 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 14^th 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 8^th 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 11^th April 1916.

He was transferred to the 45^th Battalion on 19^th April 1916.

On 2^nd June 1916 Private Anlezark left Alexandria aboard the transport Kinfauns Castle, bound for France.  He arrived at Marseilles on 8^th June 1916.

Private Anlezark served with the 45^th 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 24^th November 1916 the 45^th Battalion was holding the front line trenches in the vicinity of Guedecourt in France, when Private Anlezark was evacuated to the 36^th Casualty Clearing Station suffering from Influenza. He was placed aboard the 24^th Ambulance Train and sent to the 12^th General Hospital at Rouen, France, where he was admitted on 25^th November 1916.

On 8^th 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 9^th December 1916.

On 17^th January 1917 Private Anlezark was discharged from hospital, and granted leave till 1^st February 1917, to report to the No. 1 Command Depot at Pernham Downs, England.

On 23^rd March 1917 Private Anlezark was transferred to the 61^st Battalion at Wareham, England.

On 29^th April 1917 he was transferred back to the 45^th Battalion, and departed Folkestone, England, for return to France.

On 30^th April 1917 he marched into the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples, France.

On 4^th May 1917 he rejoined the 45^th Battalion when it was preparing to move at Bouzincourt, France.

Just over one month later, on 7^th June 1917 the 45^th 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 9^th Casualty Clearing Station on 8^th June 1917.  He was then admitted to the 9^th General Hospital at Rouen, France, on 9^th June 1917.

On 14^th 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 3^rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth in England on 15^th June 1917.

On 25^th June 1917 he was transferred to the Grove Military Hospital at Tooting, England.

On 23^rd August 1917 he was moved to the 1^st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, England.

On 1^st September 1917 Private Anlezark was discharged from hospital, and granted leave till 15^th  September 1917, to report to the No. 2 Command Depot at Weymouth, England.

On 20^th September 1917 Private Anlezark was transferred to the No. 3 Command Depot at Hurdcott, England.

On 19^th October 1917 he was moved to the Overseas Training Brigade.

On 10^th November 1917 Private Anlezark departed Southampton England bound for France. On 11^th November 1917 he arrived at the 4^th Australian Division Base Depot at Le Harve, France.

On 27^th November 1917 he rejoined the 45^th Battalion when it was training at St Quentin, France.

Less than a month later, on 24^th December 1917 the 45^th Battalion was training near Peronne, France, when Private Anlezark was admitted to the 11^th Australian Field Ambulance suffering from Influenza.  On 31^st December he was transferred to the 1^st Casualty Clearing Station.  He was discharged to duty on 4^th January 1918.

Private Anlezark rejoined the 45^th Battalion on 22^nd January 1918, when it was training at La Clyette, Belgium.

On 28^th July 1918 Private Anlezark was granted leave to Paris, France.

He returned from leave in Paris to the 45^th Battalion on 7^th 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 45^th Battalion for the remainder of the war.

On 27^th January 1919 Private Anlezark departed Le Harve bound for England, arriving at Weymouth on 28^th January 1919, where he marched into the Overseas Training Brigade.

On 19^th February 1919 Private Anlezark was charged with being absent without leave from 2359 on 17^th February 1919 till 1200 on 18^th February 1919. He was fined two days pay.

On 22^nd February 1919 he was transferred to the No. 1 Command Depot at Sutton Veny, England.

On 4^th March 1919 Private Anlezark was admitted to the 1^st Australian General Hospital at Sutton Veny with cellulitis of face.

Private Anlezark departed Southampton, England, on 6^th May 1919, aboard the H.M.A.H.S.  Karoola, bound for Australia.

He arrived in Sydney on 28^th June 1919.  He was discharged termination of period of enlistment on 18^th 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