World War I Commemorative Website

War Memorial Hall  c1929

Memorial Hall circa 1929
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Eric MCLEOD

MCLEOD

Eric McLeod was born on 23 March 1891 in Kiewa (or Yackandandah), Victoria. His parents were Donald and Mary Elizabeth (née Abbott) McLeod. He attended Scotch in 1906. He was a boarder.

Eric was an assistant storekeeper. He said he was a ‘motor mechanic’ when he enlisted on 17 August 1914 at Melbourne. He served in the 6th Battalion with the rank of Private. His Regimental Number was 829. Eric died on 15 August 1916 at Pozieres, France. He was 25 years of age.

Service record

Eric McLeod stated on enlistment that he had been a member of the 5th Battalion of the prewar militia until discharged because of illness. On embarkation, he gave his address on enlistment ‘care of F. McLeod’ residing in ‘Pentridge, Coburg’: possibly a jocular reference to a Melbourne gaol. In August 1914 he joined the 6th Battalion and embarked from Melbourne on 19 October 1914.

In Egypt it emerged that he could not hear orders and he was allocated to a transport for some time. He stated that he had suffered deafness before the war but that it had increased in Egypt. He was now deaf in both ears from ‘chronic middle ear disease’: he could hear voices at a distance of 1 foot in his right ear, and 2 feet in his left. With both ears facing the questioner he could hear at four yards.

On 25 June 1915 he was admitted to hospital and in July embarked for England to be operated on for varicose veins and deafness (see below). There he suffered repeated bouts of venereal disease, in December 1915, April 1916 and June 1916. He was punished for this with a stoppage of pay for the whole of April 1916. In June 1916 an examining doctor declared him unfit for General Service on account of his deafness, but fit for duty at home. However, in July 1916 he was declared fit for General Service. He rejoined his unit on 3 August 1916, just 12 days before his death. He was killed in action on the first full day his battalion spent in the line at Pozieres. No account of his death seems to exist, though the unit’s war diary says its trenches were heavily shelled throughout that day.

Eric McLeod has no known grave but is commemorated at the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.

Photographs and Documents:

mcleodE

June 1916 medical report on Eric McLeod, from his service record

mcleodE

June 1916 medical report on Eric McLeod, from his service record

Sources:

  1. Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour and August 1916 War Diary of the 6th Battalion.
  2. Mishura Scotch Database
  3. National Archives of Australia – B2455, MCLEOD E
  4. The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=202705

Page last updated: 11 November 2015