Cameron, David Leslie

6491 Private David Leslie Cameron - 11th Battalion AIF

David Leslie Cameron was born in Fremantle WA on the 6th June 1897 to David and Caroline Cameron. He had a younger brother Robert born in 1899.

He grew up in Fremantle and received his early education at North Fremantle Primary School, with the family living at Willis avenue North Fremantle to the mid 1900's.

The family then moved to the Northam district and David received his first military training with the 85B Cadets of the Citizens Military Forces.

During this time he also took up a Blacksmith apprenticeship in Quairiding. On the 20th June 1916 19 year old David enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force and was accepted as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded his physical attributes as;

Height - 5 feet 4 & 1/2 inches tall;

Weight - 115lbs;

Chest Measurement - 30-33 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Brown;

Hair - Brown.

Upon his successful enlistment David was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp and was assigned to No.73 Training Depot. He was taken through the basics of infantry work at this depot camp and then on the 22nd July 1916 David was assigned to the 21st Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA for the next few months.

On the 10th October 1916, David and his group entrained to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Suffolk. The ship then set sail for England, arriving at Plymouth on the 2nd December 1916. After being disembarked, David and his group were sent to the 3rd Training Battalion on the Salisbury Plains.

David trained in England for the next two months  and then on the 4th February 1917 was sent over to France. He was initially sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot Camp at Etaples. He was taken on strength of the 11th Battalion on the 10th February 1917.

The Battalion was situated on the Somme battlefield near Flers and David would have seen his first major action near Le Barque at the end of the month.

In March 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australians and British followed up this withdrawal closely and many sharp actions were fought. The 11th battalion were around Morchies and Boursies in March and April 1917.

On the 3rd April 1917 David was sent to hospital sick with influenza and he spent six weeks away from his unit, being mainly at the 12th General Hospital at Etaples. He returned on the 22nd May 1917 and would have noticed mainly familiar faces missing as during his absence the 11th Battalion had been in action at Lagnicourt and Bullecourt.

After he returned to his unit, the 11th Battalion were given a three month break out of the line, so from June to August 1917, much of the time was taken up with training and sporting activities.

On the 14th August 1917 David was sent to hospital with scabies and again spent nearly six weeks away recovering. He returned to the 11th Battalion on the 25th September 1917. The 11th Battalion was now involved in the Third Battle of Ypres in Belgium. David had missed his units action at the Battle of Menin Road on September 20th but then saw subsequent action at Celtic Wood and Zonnebeke in October 1917.

David once again came down ill with Scabies and was sent to the 12th General Hospital at Rouen but returned to his unit on the 4th November 1917 when they were in the front line facing Passchendaele.

From November 1917 to March 1918, the 11th Battalion held the front line in the sector between Messines and Ypres Belgium.

As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 when they broke through the British front in the southern sector, the five Australian divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this advance. The 11th Battalion, as part of the 1st Australian Division was the last of the divisions to leave Belgium and had just arrived near Amiens when the Germans broke through the line in Belgium and made a speedy advance into northern France. The 1st Australian Division was then returned north and met the Germans around Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here. David would have seen much action around Merris and Meteren with the 11th Battalion.

In early August 1918, the 11th Battalion was moved south to Villers-Bretonneux where they would take part in the large advance that was due to take place on August 8th 1918.

The 11th Battalion didn't take part in the first day of the advance but went into the line on the 9th August 1918 and on the following day attacked the German positions at Lihons. The Germans had well entrenched positions and unleashed a heavy machine gun fire on the advancing men of the 11th Battalion. Many of the 11th Battalion were killed and wounded by this fire. David survived the action on the 10th August, but the following day a German gas shell exploded nearby him and he was overcome by fumes before he could secure his gas mask.

He was sent to the 1st Australian field Ambulance for initial treatment and was then sent on to the 48th Casualty Clearing Station. He was then sent by ambulance train to the French town of Rouen. He was then admitted to the 3rd Stationary Hospital.

David was recovering well and after seven days he was sent to No.11 Convalescent Camp at Buchy. He remained there for a month and then on the 18th September 1918 was sent to the 1st Australian Division Base Depot Camp. He spent a few more weeks there and then rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 14th October 1918.

The 11th Battalion were then on a rest period from the front line, having fought their last action on September 18th. They were preparing to return to the front a few weeks later when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.

When the Germans withdrew to their own borders, the Australians went to what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. David remained with the 11th Battalion until the 20th January 1919. He was then granted a fortnight's leave to the UK. 

After his leave was over David returned to France and rejoined his unit. On the 11th April 1919 he fell ill and was diagnosed with venereal disease. After a few days in France, he was shipped to England and was admitted to the 1st Australian Dermatological Hospital at Bulford. He remained there till the 3rd June 1919.

He was then sent to No.1 Group Camp at Longbridge Deverell where he waited to be assigned a berth on a troopship home. This did not take long and on the 21st June 1919 he boarded the Kongin Louise and set sail for Australia, reaching Fremantle on the 3rd August 1919.

David was discharged from the AIF on the 10th September 1919.

He then returned to Northam and resumed his career as a blacksmith.

However by 1925 David was farming in the Northam district.

On the 24th April 1928 David was married to Grace Forster. They would have several children, with, Leslie 1929, Brenda 1930, Brian 1931, Gerald 1932, Gladys 1936 and Robert 1942.

The family moved from Northam and went to live in Mt Barker where he was farming through to the 1940's.

David also saw service during World War Two. On the 4th October 1940 he enlisted and was assigned the service number W27394 and served with the 10th Garrison Battalion during 1940/41 but was discharged in October 1941.

On the 16th January 1942 he again enlisted and was assigned a different service number W47558. He served in the Volunteer Defence Corps in Albany till July 1942 and was then assigned to the 29th Garrison Battalion and was posted to Fremantle. He was with the 29th Garrison Battalion till March 1943 when he was transferred to the 9th Horse Transport Company. He served with this unit in the Western Command area.

In December 1944 David was transferred to the 26th Works Company and remained there till April 1945 when he was discharged.

David then returned home to the Mt Barker/Albany region. He then returned to Fremantle, taking up residence at 37 Silas Street East Fremantle.

Sadly David died on the 10th November 1945 at Karping Siding, being hit by a train.

The Pingelly-Brookton Leader newspaper 15th November 1945 edition published a small article about David's passing.

David was then buried at Pingelly cemetery.

(Photo courtesy of family ancestry page)