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Theo, and his twin Anna Clarice, were born on the 14th of July, 1922, in  Albury, New South Wales. He was one of thirteen children of Theodore Emmanuel and Bertha Anna (née Bartsch) Scholz. The family farmed the property “Hawthorn”, and also did some share farming at “Hawksview Estate” on the river and on Burrumbuttock homestead. Like all of his siblings, Theo attended St John’s Lutheran School at Jindera.

Leo was a member of the Militia unit, the 40th Battery of the 22nd Field Regiment with the Army No. V325212. On the 6th of October, 1941, he was mobilised and became part of the 2nd A.I.F. He was allocated a new Army No., VX118607, as he was now a part of the regular Army and not the Militia. At the time he was a single 20 year-old farmer helping on the family farm at “Hawthorn”, Jindera, in New South Wales.

From May to mid-August , Theo was stationed at Gympie, Queensland, with the 122nd Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, although it’s unsure what his duties were with this unit. On the 12th of August, 1943, he embarked on HMT Katoomba and disembarked at Port Moresby two days after as part of the 2/4th Field Company. Three months later he was transferred to the 2/6th Field Company, Royal Australian Engineers.

Between May and August of 1944, Theo was in and out of hospital back in Australia, in Queensland, suffering from malaria. At various times he was a patient in the 2/4th and the 2/12th  Army General Hospitals.

On the 23rd of May, 1945, Leo embarked on LST 935 at Cairns in northern Queensland and the convoy moved off three days later. The 2/6th’s War Diary states that 95% of the Company and the infantry troops on board were suffering from seasickness due to the heavy seas. They arrived at Mile Bay where the troops were allowed to go ashore at the Naval Base. After leaving two days later, the seas were smoother and allowed lectures and physical training to take place. By the 12th of the following month the convoy disembarked at Morotai, one of Indonesia’s northernmost islands. 

The company spent the following nine days preparing to take place in the Oboe II landings on Balikpapan, a sea port on the south-east coast of what was then Dutch Borneo. The landing’s objectives were to secure oil processing and port facilities. 

D Day was 0900 hours on the 1st of July, 1945. The company landed in detachments supporting various units. Theo was a part of 9 Platoon 2/6th Field Company RAE supporting D Company of the 2/14th Infantry Battalion. On the 6th of July, they attacked a coastal defence gun position. The 21st of August, 1945, edition of the Border Morning Mail included this article about Theo, which describes how he was killed in action.

“HOW BRAVE DISTRICT SOLDIER DIED

Spr. Theo Scholz; His Last Heroic Act

Below is a copy of a letter written to Mr T. Scholz, by Major Peter Reed concerning his son, Spr. [Sapper] Theo Scholz (also a nephew of Mr C Pagenstecher, of Jindera), who was killed in action in Borneo recently. Spr. Scholz was engaged to be married to Miss Rhoda Preuss, Forbes (they were schoolmates at Jindera) when his next leave was due some months ago. Arrangements had already been made. Instead of obtaining leave, it was necessary for him to be sent to Borneo.

Major Reed writes: “Dear Mr Scholz: I am writing to you, firstly, to offer my sympathy with you in your sadness, and secondly, to tell you what Theo did. I am the officer commanding 2/6 Fld. Coy, and have been with the company since it was first formed in 1940. I have known Theo since he joined us in the Ramu Valley. In this campaign the engineers have won the praise of all. In previous Pacific campaigns we have been almost base troops, but this time we were real fighting troops. The courage of engineers has been especially praised by our general. We have won the reputation as fighting troops (which we first won in the Middle East) by the acts of such men as Theo. A large gun was holding up our advance. Theo went with the infantry, carrying explosives to sneak on the gun and destroy it. When rushing to the gun, Theo was instantly killed by rifle fire. Another engineer with him, picked up the explosives and destroyed the gun. So Theo’s effort was not in vain. Our padre, who was Roman Catholic, held a Requiem Mass for Theo. All Theo’s platoon, Protestant and Roman Catholic, attended and joined their thoughts and prayers. The platoon officer asked permission for his men to name a bridge which they had built, ‘Scholtz Bridge’. Our CO gave his permission so that there is in the land far from his home, a memorial to him and his courage. I have written this because I wanted you to know what we, his comrades, think of Theo.”

Theo was buried in the Labuan War Cemetery in Malaysia. He is also remembered on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Jindera First and Second World Wars Memorial, and the Tallangatta RSL War Memorial. For his service, he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Pacific Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal 1939-1945 and the Australian Service Medal 1939-1945.