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Kerr L S    Sapper    656

Page history last edited by Lenore Frost 1 year, 3 months ago

Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington, 1914-1918

 

Corporal L S Kerr, The Herald 5 May 1917.

 

Kerr L S     Sapper    656    Leslie Sim                2 Div Sig Co    21    Electrician    Single    Pres       

Address:    Ascot Vale, Ascot Vale Rd, 215   

Next of Kin:    Kerr, Andrew, father, 215 Ascot Vale Rd, Ascot Vale   

Enlisted:    23 Oct 1914       

Embarked:     Borda 22 Dec 1914   

Awards: Mentioned in Dispatches, Military Medal

 

Essendon Gazette 24 May 1915

 

FROM THE FRONT.
The following is an extract from a letter received from Sapper Les S  Kerr, on the eve of his departure for the front:-

 

We are off at last.  Sir Ian Hamilton inspected us the other day, and was highly satisfied, and said we were at a high standard of efficiency;  but we will soon be tested.  I can tell you there is a terrible lot expected from the Australians, and I hope we will prove ourselves worthy of our name.  We are greatly excited to think we are really going. We began to think that we would not see any fighting at all, and that would not be a fair thing if after our training and all Australia's trouble and expense, none of her soldiers were put to fight.


Tell the boys I am not going to play football with the Congo's this year, as I am going to have a go at the Turks.

 

Essendon Gazette, Thursday 12 October 1916

 

Word has been received that Corporal Les Kerr has been congratulated and recommended by Major General Sir H. W. Cox, K.C.M.G., commanding the 4th Aust. Division, for devotion to duty and constantly repairing telephone wires under heavy shell fire. Corporal Kerr is the son of the late Mr. Andrew Kerr and Mrs. Kerr, of Ascot Vale road, and was well known in cricket and football circles as captain of the A.V. Congregational Church team. He left with the 2nd contingent, and served right through the Gallipoli campaign, and was recommended by Col. Monash for services rendered during the evacuation, for  which he was promoted corporal.

 

HOW A HERO DIED. (1916, October 12). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 6 Edition: Morning.. Retrieved February 13, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74594350

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, January 1917

 

No 656 Corporal Les Kerr, Sig Sect, 4th Aust Inf Brig., HQ.  Les was one of our Sunday School boys, and belonged to the Robertson St Boys Brigade.  He was a great chum of the late Sgt Don McPherson (whose untimely death we deeply deplore) Corp Kerr sailed with the 1st Exp. Force, was all through the Gallipoli Campaign, and is now on the West front.  He has never been sick nor suffered a wound though in the thick of it all the time.  We desire that good fortune may continue to follow him.  In a letter received lately he says in reply to a question:-  "Yes, I went through the Pozieres affair and consider myself very fortunate in coming through unscathed.  We have been having a quiet easy time lately (in Belgium) and it has been greatly appreciated by all".  News has just been received that Les has been awarded the Military Medal;  we offer him our heartiest congratulations.

 

The Argus Wednesday 21 February 1917

 

MILITARY MEDAL.

Corporal Leslie S Kerr, of 215 Ascotvale road, Ascotvale, has been granted the military medal for bravery on the field. He has been granted a furlough, which he is spending in visiting England and Scotland. Corporal Kerr, who is in the Divisional Engineers, left Australia on December 22, 1914, has so far escaped wounds.
 
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1598762

 

Corporal Les. S. Kerr, of the Divisional Engineers, who left Australia 22nd Dec., 1914, has been granted a furlough, which he intends spending in visiting England and Scotland. He has been most fortunate in not being wounded, although he has been in the thick of it. He has been awarded the military medal which he will receive when he goes to England, for bravery on the field.

 

MARCH 5TH, AT 8 P.M. (1917, February 22). Flemington Spectator (Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 1. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88451029

 

CORPORAL HONORED
For gallant conduct and devotion to duty while, continuously engaged in
the repair of broken telephone wires under heavy gunfire, Corporal L. S.
Kerr has been awarded the Military Medal.


Corporal Kerr is a son of Mrs Kerr and the Iate Mr A. Kerr, of Ascot
Vale road, Ascot Vale. He enlisted in October, 1914, and went through the
Gallipoli campaign. He was made a corporal for services rendered at the
evacuation.

Huge Profits of Neutral Ships (1917, May 5). The Herald

(Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 1.  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article242690780

 

Sergeant Lee. S. Kerr. M.M., of the Divisional Signallers, son of Mrs. Kerr and the late Mr. Andrew Kerr, of Ascot Vale, has been officially reported wounded. He left Australia on December 22nd, 1914, and he has been in some terrific engagements, but has escaped unharmed until now. In a letter to his mother he said he would never forget the charge of the 4th Brigade, which took place on the morning of the 11th April. He does not know how anyone came out of such an ordeal alive. He happened, however, to be one of the lucky few, and they were given a short spell, which was greatly appreciated. Sgt. Kerr sent the following verses composed by a member of the 16th Battalion in memory of the boys who fell in that awful charge of Bullecourt.

 

In Memory of the Boys who fell at Bullecourt, April 11th, 1917.

By a Member of the 16th Battalion, A.I.F.

 THE CHARGE OF THE 4th BRIGADE. TO HINDENBURG.

 

You boasted a wall of granite strength,

Which nothing on earth could break;

The skill you learnt in fifty years

You defied us blokes to shake.

Four thousand men from the "Southern Seas.'

In war but infants yet.

They crept grey-eyed from a sunken road.

And thro' your barbed wire swept.

 

No guns to aid, no barrage long

To sweep the wire away:

But a headlong charge of a thousand yards.

And the 4th they paved the way.

A lane of hell, that machine gun fire.

Right thro' a death-swept zone;

They charged as only Australians can,

And the tanks were well at home.

 

The first line thro, the second held:

They fought as strong men do.

"Hindeburg's Line," with its vaunted strength,

Was smashed by an Anzac crew.

No bombs to throw, no guns to speak.

Nothing but lives to sell;

The 4th Brigade like a quivering wave,

Fought thro' that infernal hell.

 

They tell a tale in history-

It's engraved on the roll of fame;

Of a charge they made in the Crimea,

"Balaclava" was the name.

But the charge we knew and the charge we've seen

Never from our minds can fade;

God speed the day we'll avenge those boys.

Who fell with the 4th Brigade.

 

ROLL OF HONOUR. (1917, November 15). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 2 Edition: Morning. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74604303

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, January 1918

Corporal Les Kerr and Private E. M. Salter have been wounded.  Lieut  Eric Dewar has been gassed. Gunner G. H. McCandlish is still in a London Hospital suffering from severe wounds received some time ago. 

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, June 1918

 

We are glad to hear that Sergt. Les. Kerr is on his way home to us.

 

OUR SOLDIERS

 

Amongst those who have returned from the front is Sergeant Leslie Sim Kerr, 14th Division Signal Company Engineers, son of the late A. and Mrs. Kerr, of 111 Maribyrnong road, Ascot Vale. He is 25 years of age, and enlisted in October, 1914. He is now suffering from a fractured skull.

 

OUR SOLDIERS. (1918, June 13). The Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1914 - 1918), p. 3 Edition: Morning. Retrieved June 26, 2012, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74606287

 

Flemington-Kensington Church News, July 1918

656-—Sgt. Leslie S. Kerr, 4th Division Signal Section, Engineers, has just returned home, invalided. He was awarded the Military Medal in France, in August, 1916 for gallantry and devotion to duty. He was continuously engaged under heavy shell fire in repairing broken telephone wires. Les was at the landing at Gallipoli, and except for a few days' spell at Lemnos, remained on the peninsula during the whole period of occupation. He is very whole-hearted in his praises of Sir lan Hamilton. After a long period of good fortune he stopped a  shower of Fritz's shrapnel, suffering several wounds. A large piece struck him on the head fracturing the skull, and but for the steel helmet he would have been killed. We trust that Les. who, in all kinds of fortune, still has his usual good-humoured smile, will soon fully recover from the effect of his wounds.

 

Recommendation for Military Medal, 11th August 1916.


4th Div Sig Coy

2/Cpl Kerr, Leslie Sim

Gallantry in the field and devotion to duty.  This NCO has been in charge of 4th Brigade report Centre during the time the Brigade has been in the line.  He has carried out his duties most gallantly and persistently, and has personally gone out under heavy shell fire and repaired broken telephone lines repeatedly, when it was most needed during the recent operations of 14th and 15th Battalions  This good work has been repeated no less than six times since the Brigade has been in the line.

 

https://www.awm.gov.au/images/collection/pdf/RCDIG1068747--52-.pdf

 

Mentioned in this publication:

Sparkies at War, 1914-1918, by Ken Purdham, pp 48, 50, 114, 123.

 

War Service Commemorated

Essendon Town Hall F-L

St Pauls Anglican Church, Ascot Vale

Flemington-Presbyterian-Church

UAOD Elliott Lodge

Ascot Vale Congegational Church Honour Board

Essendon Gazette Roll of Honour With the Colours

Regimental Register

Welcome Home 7 Nov 1918

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