L/Cpl
William Frederick Leslie
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 05/03/1887 |
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Place of birth: Limestone Island, Northland, New Zealand |
General information
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Profession: Bushman |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Lance Corporal |
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Service number: 24/214 |
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Enlistment date: 29/05/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Units: — New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/02/1918 |
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Place of death: Reutel, Beselare, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 30 |
Cemetery
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Polygon Wood Cemetery Plot: / Row: C Grave: 3 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Lance Corporal William Frederick Leslie served in the 2nd Battalion New Zealand Rifle Brigade, of the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade part of the New Zealand Division.
On the 1st of February 1918 the New Zealand Rifle Brigade returned to the front line, relieving the 1st New Zealand Brigade at Polygon Wood. The 2nd, 1st and 4th Battalions went into the frontline, the 3rd Battalion was in reserve East of the Butte, which served as the Battalion’s Headquarters. The 2nd Battalion was positioned on the left flank of the Brigade, at the hamlet of Reutel.
On the 2nd of February 1918 there was great German artillery activity on all parts of the sector. The Butte was subjected to a heavy bombardment with gas- and high-explosive shells. In the evening a party of about twenty Germans raided an outpost of the 1st Battalion. The four men of the 1st Battalion in the listening post, were all wounded. When the German raiders, under cover of hand grenades and pistol fire, tried to push through to the main trench, they tried to take the wounded men prisoner. In this attempt, however, they were countered by section of New Zealanders. The German raiders were compelled to withdraw, leaving three dead close to the wire.
On February the 4th, in retaliation for the German shelling on the 2nd, the allied artillery carried out a heavy bombardment on the German sector, in front of the Divisional front. The Germans responded with a steady bombardment on the New-Zealand lines with “sneezing-gas”, throughout the 5th and heavy shell fire on the 7th.
Lance Corporal William Frederick Leslie was killed on the 4th of February 1918. He was probably killed by the heavy German shell fire in these early days of February 1918. Lance Corporal William Frederick Leslie was buried in Polygon Wood Cemetery.
On the 1st of February 1918 the New Zealand Rifle Brigade returned to the front line, relieving the 1st New Zealand Brigade at Polygon Wood. The 2nd, 1st and 4th Battalions went into the frontline, the 3rd Battalion was in reserve East of the Butte, which served as the Battalion’s Headquarters. The 2nd Battalion was positioned on the left flank of the Brigade, at the hamlet of Reutel.
On the 2nd of February 1918 there was great German artillery activity on all parts of the sector. The Butte was subjected to a heavy bombardment with gas- and high-explosive shells. In the evening a party of about twenty Germans raided an outpost of the 1st Battalion. The four men of the 1st Battalion in the listening post, were all wounded. When the German raiders, under cover of hand grenades and pistol fire, tried to push through to the main trench, they tried to take the wounded men prisoner. In this attempt, however, they were countered by section of New Zealanders. The German raiders were compelled to withdraw, leaving three dead close to the wire.
On February the 4th, in retaliation for the German shelling on the 2nd, the allied artillery carried out a heavy bombardment on the German sector, in front of the Divisional front. The Germans responded with a steady bombardment on the New-Zealand lines with “sneezing-gas”, throughout the 5th and heavy shell fire on the 7th.
Lance Corporal William Frederick Leslie was killed on the 4th of February 1918. He was probably killed by the heavy German shell fire in these early days of February 1918. Lance Corporal William Frederick Leslie was buried in Polygon Wood Cemetery.
Sources 1
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Austin W.S., The Official History of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own), (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press Ltd, 2007), pg. 262-264. Sources used |
More information 5
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/480043 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=444a3960-ba3e-434c-9501-d4d151fcb44e |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7178105 |
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Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/c8719 |
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The NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=147039 |