Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

NO. 168: SERGEANT LESLIE FRANCIS BOTTOM

In August 1914, Les Bottom, aged 19[1] and a painter, by trade, bade farewell to his parents and sisters before leaving his home in Cooma, New South Wales, to travel some 400kms to Sydney to enlist. He had been actively serving with 43 Battalion of the civilian militia for the previous 18 months and had completed 2 years of military training with the senior cadets prior to that.[2]

He enlisted at Kensington on 1 September and was posted to A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade, A.I.F.[3]

Private Bottom departed Sydney on 18 October 1914, aboard H.M.A.T. Afric and disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt on 9 December 1914.

The 1st Battalion proceeded to join the B.E.F on 5 April 1915 and were involved in the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 2015.[4]

A few days later, Les was shot in the neck and was admitted to the No. 17 General Hospital, Alexandria where he remained until he was transferred to Glymenopoulo Convalescent Camp on 3 June 1915.

Inverell Times (NSW), Friday 9 July 1915, page 6

FOR KING AND COUNTRY.
LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Private Les. Bottom, writing from the General Hospital, Alexandria, to his brother, Mr. J. Bottom, of Inverell, says:—

"Just a brief note to let you know I am doing famous, although as you will see by the above, that I am still in hospital. We are enjoying beautiful weather here at present—the days are fine and warm. I suppose you would like to hear a little about the fighting we were in up to the time I was wounded. Of course, I cannot tell you much, but I will say things were pretty lively, especially for the first few days. The enemy were entrenched almost on the beach: so, of course, there was nothing else left to do but go for them with the bayonet. I can tell you this was done with a vengeance. The lads fixed bayonets and let out a tremendous yell, and went for them. That was enough for the Turks. They turned and fled for their lives, with our lads hot on their heels. The Turks then opened fire with their artillery, and shrapnel was bursting all round. However, the warships soon silenced their guns and we entrenched ourselves. The warships did wonderful work. They are splendid to watch, especially the Queen Elizabeth, with her big guns. She landed a shell in a trench where some Turks were, and one of them was blown yards in the air. He went up like a rocket. After a couple of days we were relieved and went back to the beach for a couple of days. After a good swim in the sea and a sleep we were ready for them again. After a day or so we went back into the firing line, quite as fresh as ever. On the 3rd May, we had been in the trenches for some time, and were just about to be relieved at 7 p.m., when I had the misfortune to stop mine. However, when I get back I am going to make a few Turks pay for it before they get me again."

Les was wounded on two further occasions and, by the time the troops were evacuated from Gallipoli, he had been promoted to Lance Corporal.

On 2 February 1916 Les was in the A.I.F. Camp at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt, where he was recommended for a promotion to Corporal and sent to the school of instruction at Zeitoun, Cairo, Egypt.

Later that month, Les rejoined his battalion and, by the end of March, they were fighting the Germans in France.

In late July 1916 Corporal Bottom suffered a bullet wound to the leg and was transferred to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen, France, before being transferred to Graylingwell Hospital, Chichester, England.

In March 1917 Les was transferred to the 61st Battalion and spent several weeks at training schools in Wiltshire, England but, in August of that year, he was sent back to France to reinforce the 1st Battalion.

On 4 October 1917 Les was on the battlefield when a mortar shell landed close to his position.  The force of the blast blew him off his feet before he landed heavily on his back, several metres away. A piece of the shell struck him in the lower part of his right leg, causing a Pott’s fracture of the ankle.

He spent several months in hospital before being sent back into battlelines in France, in early March 1918, and was promoted to Sergeant the following month.

A few months later, Les learned that both of his brothers had been killed in action.

Manaro Mercury, and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser (NSW), Monday 21 October 1918, page 2

Letter from Sergeant L. Bottom.
Sergeant Leslie Bottom writes from France under date 11th of August 1918, to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W, Bottom, of Cooma, as follows: No doubt long before this reaches you, you will have been notified of deaths of both poor old Will and Joe. I knew that the news would be a shock to you both but being the parents of such noble men as they both were, how can you do anything else but bear up bravely under that shock, and even in your sorrow be proud that your boys gave their lives fighting bravely and well for you and all else they hold most dear! Yes, my dear parents, by giving up their lives as they did they showed great, love for you and for all their race because does not the Bible tell us that “Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for another.” Your lads died that right might triumph, even as our Lord died that good might conquer evil; and I think that instead of grieving we should rejoice to think that they are now safe from the tribulations of this world, and are safe in the arms of Jesus. It was the will of God, and He does all things for the best.

The first news of Will's death I had was when I found an old “Daily Mail” some days ago, and saw his name in the casualty list. And this afternoon I met a Sergeant out of Joe's Battery and he told me Joe was killed three days ago. Will was killed by a piece of shell while charging a German trench. Joe's battery was all harnessed up to pull out when an aeroplane dropped bombs on them and killed nearly all. I have not been in the line this time, having been left out on escort duty and at present I am on a Guard of Honour to the King. I have met some more boys from up our way, among whom were Reg Lawless and Richie Johnson. Yesterday afternoon I visited the the old battlefield and after searching for a time I found Will's grave. He is buried where he fell, and his Battalion has erected a cross for him. I am going this afternoon to try and find Joe's grave and I will take a photo of the grave and send it home.

Three days later the soldier writes: I have just returned from my search for Joe's grave, and I am glad to be able to tell you I found it. He is buried with the other three boys who were killed with him, and at present there is a temporary cross erected for the four. His battery will erect a better one when they come out of the line. His grave is only about three-quarters of a mile from Will's.

http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article119066253

After more than four years of active service, Les was given leave to return to Australia. By the time that he disembarked H.M.A.T Devon, on 23 November 1918, the war was officially over.

Manaro Mercury, and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser (NSW), Monday 25 November 1918, page 2

Correspondence.

HONOUR OUR HEROES.

To the Editor "Manaro Mercury"

Sir.—This week Sergeant Les Bottom returns to his native town—Cooma. This hero enlisted in 1914, and is the only survivor of three brothers. After surviving all the engagements in which Australia's army in Gallipoli and France participated his brothers fell in action in the last weeks of the war. Sergeant Les Bottom was through the whole of the ill-fated and tragic Gallipoli campaign; including the terrible battle known as "Lone Pine. He was also in most of the engagements in France, where he was five times wounded and once gassed. Offered the opportunity some time back of returning to Australia; Sergeant Bottom declined. As he expressed it "He would see the war out or the war would see him out." Sergeant Bottom is probably the only surviving soldier from this town or district who holds such a proud record. Others there are but we may not welcome them for they lie sleeping far from this land for which they died, in the blood-soaked soil of glorious France. Let us not fail to honour such a hero as Sergeant Les Bottom, by giving him the welcome he so well deserves. Australia may face the future dauntlessly while she produces such sons. I am, etc., D. BONABA, Cooma ; 22nd November, 1918:

On 6 January 1919 Les was out for a drive with some friends, in Sydney, when they were involved in a minor car collision. The jolt caused him a slight injury to his back but, a few days later, he couldn’t move his legs easily, or walk.  He was admitted to the Military Hospital at Randwick on 6 March 1919, and bedridden for most of the next two years.  He passed away on 28 April 1921, aged 26, from tuberculosis of the spine, which the doctors attributed to the back injury that he suffered in France.

Manaro Mercury, and Cooma and Bombala Advertiser (NSW : 1862 - 1931), Monday 2 May 1921, page 2

A COOMA HERO'S DEATH.

Mr D. Bonaba writes : — Ex-Sergt. Les. Bottom, a Cooma native, and one of Australia's noblest sons, died on Thursday last from injuries received in action in France. For over two years Les had been an in-patient of the Military hospital at Randwick, where, for his cheerfulness he was beloved of all. Visiting Les recently, I was painfully shocked to see in his refined, handsome face the unmistakable indication of impending death; yet another beautiful life was to be added to the sacrifice made for our freedom. Les Bottom was an Original Anzac, having been right through the Gallipoli Campaign, including the terrible Lone Pine engagement, and also through the campaign in France; he was five times wounded, and was the only survivor of three soldier brothers.

I heard some fine speeches during the war, but none more truly inspiring than that uttered by Les on the occasion of his "welcome home" at the Victor Hall, when in the glorious rosetted uniform of a veteran Anzac and appearing as the soul of ardent patriotism he uttered these thrilling words "Notwithstanding all I have been through, if this my dear native land were to again call for defenders, I would answer the call." What a tragedy that such as he should die at the golden age of manhood! If we were not such a strangely phlegmatic people, surely flags at half-mast would have floated in Cooma the day brave Les Bottom died. I cannot help thinking how sordid and more or less egotistical appear our lives compared with such as his.

To those of us who knew the dear lad—and to know him was to love him for his manly qualities—it is consoling to know he received such a splendid welcome at the station on arriving home in 1918, an event as picturesque as it was stirring.

Our hearts go out to his grief-stricken parents and sisters. Les was the only consolation left his mother for the loss in war of her other two sons, and now he too has passed away. In their tears they will surely be sustained by pride in such a son and brother, carried to his eternal resting place covered by the flag for which he fought and died.

Sergeant Bottom was buried at Rookwood Cemetery on 29 April 1921.

[1] Birth certificate of Francis Leslie Bottom (registered as Frank Leslie Bottom), b. 21 March 1895. Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, New South Wales, 1895/12059. (His family called him Frank but his friends referred to him as Les.)
[2] Australia’s Defence Act was amended to turn the Militia into the Citizen Forces. Establishments were set to field an expeditionary force of four divisions and two mounted brigades, and compulsory training was imposed to ensure these formations could be filled with partly-trained volunteers. Boys were required to participate in cadet training from age twelve, and from ages eighteen to twenty Australian men performed sixteen days’ annual training with Citizen Forces. In its first year, 155,000 boys were registered and 92,000 participated in compulsory training. Steve Marti, Dominions’ Military Relationship to Great Britain 1902-1914 (British Dominions), 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, ed. by Ute Daniel, Peter Gatrell, Oliver Janz, Heather Jones, Jennifer Keene, Alan Kramer, and Bill Nasson, issued by Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin 2014-10-08. DOI: 10.15463/ie1418.10635, chapter 4.2.
[3] Service record of Leslie Francis Bottom, First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920, National Archives of Australia, B2455, BOTTOM L F. p. 1.
[4] The 1st Battalion was the first infantry unit recruited for the AIF in New South Wales during the First World War.
The battalion was raised within a fortnight of the declaration of war in August 1914 and embarked just two months later. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. The battalion took part in the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 as part of the second and third waves, and served there until the evacuation in December. Its most notable engagement at Gallipoli was the battle of Lone Pine in August.
After the withdrawal from Gallipoli in December 1915, the battalion returned to Egypt. In March 1916, it sailed for France and the Western Front. From then until 1918 the battalion took part in operations against the German Army, principally in the Somme Valley in France and around Ypres in Belgium. Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U51441. Accessed 19 July 2020.