LEITCH, William Douglas
| Service Number: | 2255 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | Army Ordnance Corps AIF |
| Born: | Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, March 1885 |
| Home Town: | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Elizabeth Street School. Five-year engineering apprenticeship with Robert Kennedy & Sons. |
| Occupation: | Engineer |
| Died: | Pulmonary Tuberculosis, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital in Dartford, United Kingdom, 4 May 1919 |
| Cemetery: |
Harefield (St. Mary) Churchyard Cowley (St. Lawrence) Churchyard (Australian. 105), Middlesex Grave inscription: Until we meet again., Harefield (St Mary) Churchyard, Harefield, Hillingdon, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Hobart Roll of Honour, Tasmanian Football League Honour Roll |
World War 1 Service
| 21 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2255, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Correction: Sailed on HMAT A30 Borda, not HMAT A62 Wandilla. | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 2255, 12th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Wandilla embarkation_ship_number: A62 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 2255, 12th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wandilla, Fremantle | |
| 25 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 22 Aug 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2255, 12th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , GSW right wrist | |
| 8 Apr 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 2255, 12th Infantry Battalion, GSW left leg severe | |
| 12 Sep 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 12th Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 May 1919: | Involvement Corporal, 2255, Army Ordnance Corps AIF, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 2255 awm_unit: Australian Army Ordnance Corps awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1919-05-04 |
Help us honour William Douglas Leitch's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Mr. W. Leitch, of 6 Arthur-street, Hobart, has received word from the Defence Department that his eldest son, Lance-Corporal W. D. Leitch, of the 12th Battalion, has been wounded in the fighting in France. Lance-Corporal Leitch left here early last year, and served for several months on Gallipoli.
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From Kenny Duus
Today marks 103 years since my cousin Corporal William Douglas (Will) Leitch succumbed to illness and the effects of WWI, having served with the AIF in the 12th Battalion (alongside my Great-Uncle Gordon Maudsley Crane) and with the Australian Army Ordnance Corps. RIP: 16/02/1885 - 04/05/1919
A son of William Douglas (Bill) Leitch Snr. (known as the "Grand Old Man" of Tasmanian football), Will left behind a young widow (Emma Elizabeth Georgina Leitch nee Thain) and a daughter not yet a year old (Elsie Olive Leitch).
If you would like to learn (a LOT) more about Will and his military service including letters he sent home to his eldest sister, I have researched and written his story and can send you the 104 page PDF of it.
Thank you for your service, Will.
Click images to start slideshow.