Leslie Walker
Name Leslie Walker
Number Private 3497
Battalion 59th Infantry Battalion
Place of Birth Leongatha or Northcote
Next of Kin His mother, Mrs. Rosalie Walker, widow, of Leongatha. He was a single man
Date and place of enlistment Melbourne 10/7/1915
Physical details on enlistment Age 22 years and 4 months 5’ 4 ½ “, 9 stone 6 pounds, grey eyes and dark brown hair
Religion Presbyterian
Occupation groom
Date and place of death
He was missing in action on 19/7/1916 at Fleurbaix during the Battle of Fromelles and declared to have been killed in action on that date at a Court of Enquiry held on 29/8/1917
Location of grave or memorial
He is believed to have been buried in No man’s land and has his name on the VC Corner Memorial Fromelles France
Relationship to Woorayl Shire
He lived in Leongatha before he enlisted. His brother attended Leongatha High School
Military History
- Attended Loch State School
- 10/7/15 He enlisted in Melbourne
- 11/10/15 He embarked Melbourne on HMAT Nestor
- He started in the 11th reinforcement 8th Battalion then changed to the 59th
- 26/2/16 He was appointed to the 59th Battalion in Tel el Kebir
- 11/3/16 He was in the 59th
- 18/6/16 He embarked Alexandria on the Kinfaune Castle
- 29/6/16 He disembarked in Marseilles
- 19/7/16 He was missing in action at Fleurbaix (Fromelle)
- 29/8/17 A Court of Enquiry declared him to be dead and buried in No mans land
- 12/11/16 His mother Rosalie wrote asking for his effects, as she believed him to have been killed
- Signaler Harry Trotman of the 57th Battalion and from Leongatha thought he saw him killed
- Leslie Walker had a tattoo done in Egypt. It was two clasped hands across a horseshoe with the words good luck on it His mother wrote about this as a way of perhaps identifying him
- Joseph Marshall of the Rechabites wrote asking for information on Leslie Walker
- The Red Cross files have letters from Mrs. Nichols of Devon. She sent a photo of Leslie to the Red Cross as she was a friend of Mrs. Walker. They ask if Leslie and Jack Edney may be prisoners of war. They were both actually killed at Fromelle on 19/7/16.
- He was the grandson of the late Rec A J Hope, chaplain to the troops in India
- He is remembered on the Tatura Honour Roll as well as the Woorayl Shire Honour Roll