Leslie Holmes Blanksby

Submitted by Mt Kembla Minin... on Tue, 14/04/2015 - 15:23

First Name:

Leslie

Middle Name:

Holmes

Last Name:

Blanksby

Date of Birth:

Sunday, March 16, 1884

Mother's Name:

Elizabeth Blanksby (nee Penman)

Father's Name:

James Blanksby

Date Enlisted:

Monday, March 6, 1916

Rank at Enlistment:

Sergeant

Rank at Discharge:

Sergeant

Company:

2nd Tunnelling Company

Service:

Infantry

Awards:

British War Medal

Victory Medal

Date of Death:

Friday, March 16, 1917

Place of Death:

France

Cause of Death:

Accidental death, due to exposure

Details:

Leslie Holmes Blanksby (Service No 3833) was born in Wollongong. In 1905 he married Beatrice Lee at Redfern, N.S.W and they had 5 children.

The son of Mr James Blanksby, a Member of Parliament, he was 31 years old and a civil engineer when he enlisted.

He embarked on from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A69 Warialda on 25th May, 1916 with the 1st Reinforcements, No 4 Tunnelling Company.

Leslie arrived in France and was engaged in mining activities with various units.

On the night of 3rd March, 1917 he accompanied a number of men to a concert at another unit. The men were returning to their own unit by motor lorry when it ran off the road. When the men were unable to get the vehicle back on the road all of the men, with the exception of Sergeant Blanksby and another soldier, Sapper Ford, walked back to their lines 3 miles away, to get help, Blanksby and Ford volunteering to stay with the truck. The weather was very cold and they only had one greatcoat between them. The two men climbed into the vehicle, sharing the coat to keep warm.

The next morning when help arrived, both men were found to be deceased.

A coronial enquiry found that death was 'accidental, due to exposure.

Sergeant Leslie Holmes Blanksby is buried in Belgium, at Poperinghe New Military Cemetery, Plot 2, Row B, Grave 17.

Sources:

NAA: B2455, BLANKSBY L H