Local Heroes WW1

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Last Updated: Saturday, 18 July 2015 19:04

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(Gun) Leslie Campbell McGregor

Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor, was a Tailor from Largs Bay, SA prior to enlistment on 22 July 1915 and embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, with his unit Divisional Ammunition Column 2, Reinforcement 1, on board HMAT A34 Persic on 22 November 1915. He was Returned to Australia 31 March 1917.

4th Field Artillery Brigade

The 4th Field Artillery Brigade was raised on 23 September 1915, following the formation of the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and the raising of the 2nd Division in Egypt in 1915. It comprised of recruits from the pre-war militia’s 7th Field Artillery Brigade, based at St Kilda, Vic., and the 8th Field Artillery Brigade. The brigade went into camp at Albert Park, Melbourne, where it did its initial training. It consisted of three artillery batteries: 10, 11, and 12 Batteries.

In November the brigade embarked for overseas service and sail to Egypt, where it joined the 2nd Division and the older AIF units following the Gallipoli campaign. A fourth battery, 19 Battery, was formed from the brigade’s ammunition column. In March 1916 the brigade embarked at Alexandria for France, as the AIF moved to the Western Front.

Arriving at the port of Marseilles, the brigade travelled 800 kilometres by train to Le Havre, where it drew its 18-pounder guns and vehicles, before continuing to Armentieres, near the French - Belgium border, on 8 April. The fighting at Armentieres was not as intense as other places along the Western Front and the allies used the location as a “nursery sector” where new units could be “blooded”. In May, 19 Battery was replaced by the 104th Howitzer Battery.

The 2nd Division’s, and the 4th Field Brigade’s, first major offensive was the battle of the Somme. The Somme offensive was partly designed to relieve the pressure on the French at Verdun. The 4th was deployed south of Sausage Valley, near Pozières, in late July, where it was involved in constant action against the Germans.

In September the brigade was given some relief, as it moved to Flanders, Ypres, but in November it returned to the Somme, to the Bapaume area, ten kilometres north-east of Pozières. As the harsh winter began to set in, the brigade experienced its first gas attacks.

In March 1917 the Germans withdrew to the Hindenburg Line and the 4th moved forward to Bullecourt. The brigade moved to Flanders in June and was in constant action to Novemeber, supporting allied attacks on Messines, Menin Road, Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, and then Passchendaele, as part of the Third Battle of Ypres. During this period, the brigade suffered its heaviest casualties of the war - 151 in October and 145 in November - including killed, wounded, and evacuated ill.

When the Germans launched their Spring Offensive in March 1918, the brigade supported the I Australia Corps as it absorbed the German push. When the Germans broke through to Villers-Brettoneux the next month, the 4th consequently moved to the Somme. In August, when the Australian offensive began, the brigade supported the infantry, as the I Australia Corps moved through Peronne, Mont St Quentin, Bellicourt,and the Hindenburg Line. Exhausted from combat and illness, the brigade was relieved on 18 October.

The 4th was moving through Peronne on 11 November when it received news of the Armistice. The brigade’s war diary recorded that the “news was taken quietly by the troops”

Honours

Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor was certainly entitled to wear Two ‘Wounded Stripe’ on the left forearm sleeve of his tunic. When he was wounded on 26th of August, 1916 (GSW Scalp) and again on the 19th September 1917 (GSW Hand & Leg) , From 336,931 Australians who embarked for overseas service (excluding the RAN), there were 155,133 ‘woundings’ (including gassing and shell-shock). There were 5,583 Australian soldiers wounded three times, 807 four times, 105 five times and 10 six times. One soldier is recorded as having been wounded seven times.

This was a strip of narrow gold Russia braid, two inches in length, worn perpendicularly on the left sleeve of the jacket to mark each occasion a soldier was wounded badly enough to be evacuated from the front line.

Honours

Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor was later awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal Trio which were sent to him by Base Records Melbourne in 1920.

The 1914-15 Star rewarded operational service within a theatre of war between the commencement of hostilities on 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915. Almost 2.3 million Stars were awarded throughout the Commonwealth, of which 82,000 were awarded to Australians serving in an Australian unit.

The British War Medal 1914-1920 was awarded to members of British and Imperial forces for service between the outbreak of hostilities on 5 August 1914 and the Armistice on 11 November 1918, although eligibility was extended to include service in various theatres up to 1920. There were 338,000 medals in silver awarded to Australians.

The Victory Medal 1914-1919 was awarded to members of British and Imperial forces for operational service only, between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918, although eligibility was extended to include service in various theatres during 1919. There were 336,000 medals in silver awarded to Australians.

1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal Trio

Leslie Campbell McGregor was also entitled to receive the ‘Discharged Returned Soldier Badge’, which was instituted in 1916 for members of the AIF who had returned to Australia from active service overseas and been discharged. Some 267,300 badges were issued: it was only for wear with civilian dress, to allow veterans to show that they had served.

‘Discharged Returned Soldier Badge’

The Semaphore War Memorial was dedicated in 1925 to honour all of those from the district who fought in the war, such as Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor.

Local commemoration

The Semaphore War Memorial on the Esplanade was dedicated in 1925 to honour all of those from the district who fought in the war. A temporary ‘Memorial Arch’ of wood and iron was first erected at the entrance to the Semaphore Jetty bearing the banner title, ‘For King & Empire’. On 27 April 1924, four foundation stones for the new memorial were laid at the approach to the jetty – one on behalf of the citizens of Port Adelaide district, one for the RSSILA, one on behalf of the parents of the fallen men, and one on behalf of the widows and orphans.

Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor was most likely among the several thousand people who attended the unveiling of the Semaphore War Memorial on 24 May 1925.  With him would of been his Mother Mrs Lucy McGregor.

The following year, a granite obelisk was erected on the foundation stones, with an electric ‘turret type’ clock and topped by a marble Angel of Peace with wings outspread. The local newspaper noted, “all the names of those who enlisted from the district or who made the supreme sacrifice cannot be placed on the monument” so it instead bears a simple commemorative plaque.

On 27 April 1924, four foundation stones for the Semaphore War Memorial were laid at the approach to the jetty – including this stone laid by Colonel Charles Philip Butler DSO (ex-43rd Battalion AIF) on behalf of the returned sailors and soldiers such as Gunner Leslie Campbell McGregor.

Semaphore & Port Adelaide RSL

The Leslie Campbell McGregor Memorial Cross of Remembrance

Leslie Campbell McGregor was the 6th President of the Semaphore & Port Adelaide RSL 1937 - 1938

For the 2015 commemoration of the ANZAC Centenary, the Semaphore & Port Adelaide RSL has created a virtual Honour Board listing the names of over 2,000 local men who volunteered to serve in World War 1. Among them are counted Leslie Campbell McGregor, a Tailor and a Twice wounded veteran of service in France.

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