Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Leonard the son of Robert WOODWARD & Christina Lindsay PATERSON and was born on the 7th of April 1890 in Terowie, SA.

Robert and Christina had married on the 31st of January 1881 in the Manse, Jamestown, SA.

His father was the son of Leonard WOODWARD & Emily GLANVILLE and was born on the 1st of November 1849 in Reedbeds, SA.

His mother was the daughter of Robert PATERSON & Catherine Blain and was born in Scotland.

Leonard was the sixth child born into this family of 9 children; 3 boys, 6 girls.

His father was a farmer in Terowie and when Leonard’s grandmother died in 1885 Leonard’s father had remained on the family farm.

But just after Leonard was born they sold the farm and moved to Petersburg where his father was employed as the Director of the Petersburg Butter, Bacon & Produce Company.

In 1895 his father built a little cottage on the hill at the back of the school and they named their home “Gowan Brae” and Leonard and his siblings attended the Petersburg School.

Leonard was 17 years old when his father died from Appendicitis on the 17th of August 1907.

His mother sold their home in May 1910 and they moved to Gladstone Road, Mile End where his sister Emily had purchased a home.

Sadly his mother then died 4 months later, on the 15th of September 1910 and they buried her in the North Road Cemetery.

Leonard gained employment as a Mercer.

At the age of 25 Leonard enlisted into the AIF on the 25th of August 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 1857 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.

Leonard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A30 Borda on the 11th of January 1916, disembarking in Pt Seuz, Egypt on the 9th of February. He served with the 16th & 48th Battalions in France and Belgium before being transferred for clerical duties to the 4th Infantry Brigade Headquarters in November 1917.

Leonard finally embarked for Australia on the 16th of June 1919 on board HMAT Ormonde, disembarking in Adelaide on the 30th of July.

Leonard was discharged from the AIF on the 21st of September 1919 and then became a member of the Glenelg RSL Sub-Branch.

Leonard married Kathleen BARNS on the 6th of September 1920 in St Paul’s Church, Pulteney Street, Adelaide, SA.

Kathleen was born Dorette Kathleen BARNS and was the daughter of Frederick BARNES & Dorette LUCK and was born on the 16th of April 1892 in Colton, SA.

Her 3 bothers had served in WW1; Frederick Percival Graham BARNES (1991 – 3rd LHR), Alfred Theodore BARNES (29918 – 120 Howitzer Brigade) and Frank Launsley BARNS (3473 – 3rd LHR). Unfortunately Frank died of Pneumonia on the 22nd of October 1918 in the 14th Australian General Hospital in Pt Said, Egypt.

Her parents were the publicans of the Waverley Hotel, Unley Road.

Tragically, Leonard died just 3 days after his married, on the 9th of September 1920 in Nurse Haigh’s Hospital in Adelaide and his funeral left the residence of his father in-law, Frederick BARNS, Waverley Hotel, Unley Rd.

Leonard was buried the following day in the North Road Cemetery; Path 27 North, Plot 3974.

Leonard’s grave has never been marked and the site is still current.

After Leonard’s death, Kathleen married Stanley BEST in Gawler and died on the 3rd of January 1935.

Military Service;

At the age of 25 Leonard enlisted into the AIF on the 25th of August 1915 in Adelaide, SA and was allotted the service number 1857 and posted to A Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.

He listed his sister Emily Glanville WOODWARD of Gladstone Street, Mile End, as his next of kin.

From the 1st of October until the 31st he attended a Non Commissioned Officers School and on the 1st of November he was transferred to the 32nd Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements.

Leonard embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A30 Borda on the 11th of January 1916, disembarking in Pt Seuz, Egypt on the 9th of February.

They were entrained to Zeitoun, near Cairo, to the 8th Training Battalion.

Leonard was taken on strength with the 16th Battalion on the 10th of March, who was located at Tel-el-Kebir.

On the 16th of March the 16th Battalion was split and provided experienced soldiers for the newly raised 48th Battalion.

Leonard was transferred to the 48th Battalion on the 3rd of April in Serapeum.

They were entrained from Serapeum on the 1st of June, arriving in Alexandria the following day. They sailed for France on the 3rd of June, disembarking in Marseilles five days later. The following day they left for Doelieu, via Hazebrouck.

They then marched through Bailloul and Merris and on the 4th of July they relieved the 2nd Battalion at Fleurbaix.

This was Leonard’s first experience of the war and the heavy shelling wrecked most of their billets. They were relieved by the 54th Battalion on the 11th and marched onto Berteacourt where they remained until the 28th and then moved onto Albert on the 1st of August.

They then moved onto Sausage Valley, Pozieres and onto the Windmill near Bapaume Road and relieved the 27th Battalion under a very heavy bombardment of enemy shelling and suffered heavy casualties.

It was here that Leonard suffered from shell shock and was admitted to the 7th Australian Field Ambulance and then onto the 1st ANZAC Rest Station by the 11th of August.

The rest station was located in a field near Chateau Vadencourt, near Contay.

After four days he returned to his Battalion who had moved back to Albert.

The following morning they moved into Warloy and then onto billets in Berteacourt, arriving in Vadencourt on the 15th.

Their next move was back to Albert and onto La Boisselle to relieve the 18th Battalion in the front line at Mouquet Farm. They remained here for 12 days before returning to their billets in Albert. Frome here they moved to Beauval and Doullens before being entrained to their billets at Poperinge, in Belgium.

Murrumbidgee Camp near La Clytte was their next move on the 21st of September and it was here four days later that Leonard suffered from Rheumatism and was admitted into the 4th Australian Field Ambulance and then onto the 13th Australian Field Ambulance at Wippenhoek.

He remained here until the 8th of October when he was returned to duty, but this time he returned to the 16th Battalion at Reningelst who were in training and attack practice and then they slowly moved onto Mametz Huts.

Whilst here Leonard suffered from a reeked back and Lumbago on the 28th of November he was admitted into the 15th Australian Field Ambulance and then onto the ANZAC Rest Station in Godeswaersvelde.

He spent two weeks here recovering before rejoining his Battalion who had moved onto Ribemont and they spent Christmas Day 1916 in Cardonette.

They spent most of January back at Mamets Huts improving the camp by installing drainage, duckboard levelling and erecting cook houses before moving onto Townsville Camp to improve that camp.

On the 2nd of February they relieved the 14th Battalion in the front line at Flers for 10 days and then moved to Aubrey Camp at Bazentin for 3 weeks for specialist training. They then moved onto Beugnatre on the 1st of April to relieve the 49th Battalion and reinforce the 50th Battalion before moving into the trenches at Noreuil on the 4th of April.

Seven days later they moved to sunken trench for the attack on the Hindenburg Line at Bullecourt. Leonard’s Battalion sustained heavy casualties despite breaking in to the German defensive line.  Supporting tanks failed and there was only limited artillery support, because the advocates of armour had convinced the higher command that the tanks would achieve surprise without artillery preparation.  As they didn't even get to the start line on time in the first instance, and then after the attack was postponed they were all neutralised quickly and the German defensive barbed wire belts in front of their positions had not been cut - again. 

In May they were in training in Ribemont and Doulieu and in June they were in the support line at the back of Messeines for a few days.

August was spent in billets at Bleu Tour and Dranoutre in Belgium before they moved in September to new billets in Arrewage, Staple and Steenvoorde, France.

At the end of September they had moved to the support line at Ypres then into the dugouts in the Canal area. In mid October they moved to Westhoek Ridge in reserve and then onto Zonnebeke in support before moving into billets at Lisbourg.

On the 3rd of November 1917 Leonard was transferred for clerical duties to the 4th Infantry Brigade Headquarters who were always close to their 4 Battalions at the front line (13th, 14th, 15th & 16th Battalions).

Their Battalions were involved in the significant fighting around Villers-Bretonneux and Le Hamel.

The 4th Brigade remained in the front line until late September 1918, taking part in the Hundred Days Offensive, including the fighting on the 8th of August at Amiens.

In early October the rest of the Australian Corps was withdrawn from the line for rest and re-organisation in order to prepare for further operations and Leonard was granted 2 weeks leave in Paris.

The brigade did not take part in any further fighting before the Armistice in November 1918 and in December Leonard was granted another 2 weeks leave, but this time to England.

Whilst in England the Brigade’s component infantry battalions began the demobilisation process and Leonard was demobilized whilst on leave.

On return from leave he was transferred to the administration component of the AIF Headquarters in Tidworth Barracks, on the eastern side of Salisbury Plain.

Leonard finally embarked for Australia on the 16th of June 1919 on board HMAT Ormonde, disembarking in Adelaide on the 30th of July.

Leonard was discharged from the AIF on the 21st of September 1919.