Colreavy, Leonard Bernard

2613 Corporal Leonard Bernard Colreavy - 12th Battalion AIF

Leonard Bernard Colreavy was born on the 24th October 1891 in Bunbury WA to Bernard and Katherine Colreavy.  He had three siblings, Theresa, Ida and Jack.

He was initially educated in Bunbury before the family moved up to the Perth region.

Unfortunately his mother died in Perth in 1911 but in 1913 he married Winifred Murphy in Maylands and they set up residence at 155 Glyde Street East Fremantle. He was employed in a local hotel.

A daughter called Mona was born in 1913, Peter in 1914 followed in 1915 by another daughter called Clarice.

On the 16th June 1915 Leo enlisted into the AIF. He was found to be fit for service with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 & 3/4 inches tall;

Weight - 150lbs;

Chest Measurement - 34-36 inches;

Complexion - Fresh

Eyes - Grey;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment Leo was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where hew as assigned to the 8th Reinforcements to the 12th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until he embarked from Fremantle on the 2nd September 1915 aboard the transport ship HMAT Anchises. 

The ship arrived in Egypt on the 26th September and the men were marched into the training camp. Leo was then taken on strength of the 12th Battalion at Mudros Island on the 3rd December 1915. The 12th Battalion had departed Gallipoli for Mudros Island at this time so it doesn't appear that Leo served at Gallipoli.

On the 6th January 1916 Leo and the 12th Battalion returned to Egypt and they spent the next few months in training.

On the 29th March 1916 the 12th Battalion left Egypt bound for France, arriving at Marseilles on the 5th April 1916. After they disembarked the unit was sent to northern France to the Armentieres region. They had their first experience of Western Front trench life in this sector.

After a few months here, the 12th Battalion headed south for the Somme battlefield. On July 23rd 1916 they took part in the capture of Pozieres village and in August were in action at Mouquet Farm. Though casualties were heavy in the 12th Battalion, Leo came through unscathed.

In November 1916 Leo was appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal. In January 1917 he was promoted to Corporal.

In March 1917 the Germans began withdrawing to their pre-prepared defensive positions known as the Hindenburg Line. They fought hard during the withdrawal and several battles were fought at villages such as Noreuil, Bullecourt and Lagnicourt.

The 12th battalion were heavily engaged at Boursies on April 6th 1917 and just over a weeks later were holding an outpost line in front of Boursies and Lagnicourt.

The Germans took an opportunity to attack the thinly held line and the post that Leo was in was surrounded and he was captured and taken prisoner. He spent most of his time as a prisoner at Limburg.

He remained a prisoner for the rest of the war. After the Armistice he returned to England and spent a few months in rest camps and on leave while he waited to be allotted a berth on a troopship home.

On the 19th April 1919 Leo boarded the transport ship HMAT Marathon and set sail for home, disembarking in Fremantle on the 31st May 1919.

After his return home he resumed his work as a storeman, and lived East Fremantle, Cottesloe and Subiaco over the next few years.

His marriage to Winfred ended and in 1926 he married Vida Stodart. They had a son called Bernard born in 1928 and they took up residence in Victoria Park.

During World War Two Leo offered his services again. He enlisted on the 10th October 1939. Prior to his enlistment he was living at Railway Parade West Perth.

Leo was given the rank of Warrant Officer and was assigned to the 10th Garrison Battalion. The 10th Garrison Battalion was based at Swanbourne Barracks from 1940 to 1942, but in December 1942 it was posted to Geraldton.

In 1944 Leo was assigned for a time to the 19th Garrison Battalion at Melville Army Camp, before returning to the 10th Garrison Battalion at Swanbourne Barracks in 1945.

Leo was demobilised in 1946. He took up residence in Swanbourne for a few years and then found employment as a caretaker in London Court Perth and also lived there from 1949 onwards.

Leonard Bernard Colreavy died on the 20th June 1959.