Leslie, Robert Miller
No.7591 – Private Robert Miller Leslie – 51st Battalion AIF
Robert Miller Leslie was born in Bright Victoria in 1896 to George and Eveline Leslie. The family moved to Western Australia while Robert was still young and took up residence in Henderson Street Fremantle. He had three more siblings once the family arrived in Fremantle, Evaline (1899), Florence (1904) and Lancelot (1910).
Robert was educated at Fremantle Boys School and after leaving he took up work as a Shipping Clerk. Robert was also a musician and formed a part of the Young Australia League Band. During these years Robert was also an active member of the 86th Infantry of the Citizen Military Forces.
During this time the family were living at 50 Henderson Street, as George Leslie was working as a warder at Fremantle Prison.
On the 7th February 1916 Robert went to Swan Barracks in Perth enlisted in the AIF. He was passed as fit for service with the medical examiner finding him to be 5 feet 2 ½ inches tall; weight of 109lbs; chest measurement of 30-33 inches; fair complexion; grey eyes and light brown hair. His religious denomination was Methodist. Robert was initially assigned to the Army Medical Corps and worked in No.8 Australian General Hospital and various depot camps in WA through 1916/17. It wasn’t until the 20th April 1917 that Robert was attached to a unit for overseas service. He was assigned as No.7591 Private Robert Miller Leslie of the 25th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion.
He trained with this group in WA for the next two months while they waited for their departure orders to come. These finally arrived and on the 29th June 1917 they boarded the HMAT Borda in Fremantle Harbour and set sail overseas. After the long sea voyage they arrived at Plymouth England on the 25th August 1917. Robert and his group were then disembarked and sent to the 3rd Training Battalion at Durrington Camp on the Salisbury Plains. Robert was to remain in England for the next few months during which time he was also given leave to see the sights of England.
On the 7th November 1917 Robert was transferred to the 2nd Training Battalion at Sutton Veny Camp where he remained until the end of March 1918. On the 1st April 1918 Robert proceeded to Dover where he boarded a transport ship for France. After arriving at Calais he was marched into the 4th MBBD where he remained for three days. On the 4th April he left this camp and proceeded to join the 51st Battalion, being taken on strength on the 6th April 1918. Robert was appointed to 12 Platoon of “C” Company and was made the Company bugler.
The 51st Battalion were then in the vicinity of Dernancourt but soon moved in Reserve to Villers-Bretonneux. On April 24th the Germans launched an attack which captured this village. An immediate counter attack was organised by the 13th & 15th Brigades. As part of the 13th Brigade, the 51st Battalion would encircle the village to the south. The assault went ahead in the evening of the 24th April and continued on into the 25th April. The 51st Battalion faced severe machine gun fire from an adjacent Wood and while some men went and tackled those posts the remainder kept going ahead.
The men of the 51st Battalion were temporarily held up at a barbed wire barrier and while attempting to get through many men including Robert were killed by the machine gun fire. There seemed to be some confusion over his burial as it was stated that he was buried in a Military Cemetery behind the lines and a map reference of Sheet 62d SW.U.4.a.2.8 was given in his service records. This burial spot was just south of Villers-Bretonneux.
However, when war graves parties later came through it seems they stated that a cross for Robert in Adelaide Cemetery Villers-Bretonneux was only a memorial cross. Due to this confusion Robert is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial.
His brother Arnold Leslie served with the 11th Battalion and returned home in 1919.