Leyshon, Harry
No.53 Private Harry Leyshon - 44th Battalion AIF
Harry was born in 1895 in Eaglehawk Victoria to William and Margaret Leyshon, being one of six siblings, with, Annie 1882, William 1885, James 1886, Lyla 1889 and Linda 1891.
They moved to WA in the 1900's and took up residence in North Fremantle, at "Winstone" Mason Street. Harry was educated locally and also served in the local cadets of the Citizens Military Forces. After leaving school he took up an apprenticeship to become a plumber.
On the 3rd January 1916 Harry enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 5 inches;
Weight - 115lbs;
Chest Measurement - 32-34 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Dark Brown.
After his successful enlistment, Harry was sent to Claremont Camp where he was assigned to "A" Company with the regimental number 53. He trained with the 44th Battalion for the next few months in WA while they waited for the departure orders to arrive. These finally came though and on the 6th June 1916 the 44th Battalion boarded the transport ship HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour. The journey to England took just over six weeks and the ship arrived at Plymouth Harbour on the 21st July 1916.
After being disembarked the 44th Battalion were sent to the 3rd Division Training area on the Salisbury Plains and remained there till November 1916. During this time the men were also given leave and Harry would have seen London or other parts of England.
On the 25th November the 44th Battalion arrived at Southampton Harbour where they boarded a transport ship for the journey across the Channel to France. After their arrival they were sent to the Armentieres region where they remained until March 1917.
Shortly after arriving in France in December 1916, Harry contracted mumps and was sent to the 7th General Hospital at St Omer. He had a few weeks away from his unit, rejoining the 44th Battalion on the 10th January 1917.
On the 13th March 1917 the 44th Battalion conducted a trench raid on German positions and Harry came through the action safely. A few weeks later he got into trouble for failing to appear on a parade and as a result had to forfeit 29 days pay and was sentenced to 5 days of Field Punishment No.1.
A few weeks later Harry was in trouble again for what was called; An act to the prejudice of good order.' There was no other explanation but Harry was punished with 42 days of Field Punishment No.2.
The difference between Field Punishment No.1 and Field Punishment No.2 was The main difference between Field Punishment No. 1 and Field Punishment No. 2 lies in whether the soldier was bound to a fixed object. Both penalties involved hard labour, loss of pay, and the wearing of handcuffs or fetters, but they differed in physical restraint.
While he was undergoing his punishment in April 1917, the 44th battalion had moved to the Ploegsteert sector.
The 44th Battalion spent the next few months in the Messines sector. In June 1917 the Messines offensive commenced with the 44th Battalion seeing action in the successful operation. Harry came through safely and continued to serve with his unit. On the 31st July 1917 the 44th Battalion took part in operations around the village of Warneton. The 44th battalion remained in the Messines area through August 1917.
Harry subsequently served through the Third Battle of Ypres from September to November 1917 seeing action at Zonnebeke, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 44th Battalion held the line in Belgium south east of Ypres. On the 31st January 1918 Charlie was sent on a two week furlough to England, returning on the 15th February 1918.
As a result of the German offensive on March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop the German advance. The 44th Battalion were sent to an area near the Somme River at Sailly-le-Sec and Sailly Laurette. The 44th Battalion advanced till they met the Germans in the field near Sailly Laurette and though the German fire stopped the 44th from advancing, the Germans were also stopped. Harry came through this safely but on the 12th April 1918 was evacuated ill with venereal disease. He was sent to the 39th General Hospital at Le Havre.
Harry had over two months in hospital in France and then rejoined the 44th Battalion on the 15th June 1918. They were then in the Villers-Bretonneux region.
On the 4th July 1918 the 44th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. Harry came through this action unscathed.
On the 8th August 1918 the 44th Battalion took part in the successful advance from the Villers-Bretonneux front and they took their objectives. The 44th Battalion advanced continually for the next several weeks, seeing action around Bray, Clery and Peronne. By the 29th September 1918 the 44th Battalion were at the Hindenburg Line defences. During the advance Harry was wounded by a bullet to the shoulder.
He was initially treated at the 11th Field Ambulance and was then sent to the 41st casualty Clearing Station. Further work was done on his wound here and Harry was then put on an ambulance train which took him to the 7th General Hospital at Tronville. Fortunately the wound was not severe and on the 5th October 1918 Harry was sent to the 1st Convalescent Camp. On the 14th October 1918 he was then sent to the Australian Infantry Base Depot at Rouelles where he spent the next two weeks. He rejoined the 44th Battalion on the 29th October 1918.
The 44th Battalion were on a rest period and they were still out of the line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.
Once the Germans withdrew to behind their own borders, the Australians were sent to what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. They would be in these areas for the next few months. On the 14th January 1919 Harry was sent on two weeks leave to the UK, returning to France on the 28th Janaury 1919.
Harry remained in France for the next two months. On the 23rd April 1919 he returned to England and was sent to No.3 Group Camp at Codford. He would now remain here while waiting to be assigned a berth on a transport ship home.
On the 1st June 1919 Harry boarded the transport ship Somali and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919. He was then discharged from the AIF.
On returning home to North Fremantle he resumed residing in Mason Street and then was reemployed as a plumber. He was married in Fremantle in 1920 to Frances Pauline Lavinia Henly and they had the following children, Harry in 1921, William in 1924, Roma in 1926, Ronald in 1929, Lionel in 1932, Lyla in 1935 and Maxwell 1937.
They lived in Bayley street North Fremantle for a few years and then from the 1920's to 1950's Harry was farming at Mundijong.
He came back to the metro area in the 1960's and died on the 8th December 1964 in Victoria Park aged 69. He was cremated at Fremantle Cemetery.