FAMILY LIFE

Lesley (known as Leslie) Richmond Daly was born in 1892 in Ballina, son of John Thomas Daly & Mary Jane (Saunders) Daly. Leslie’s father died in 1911 but his mother married John Thomas Lally in 1909. John Lally also enlisted in September 1915. Leslie had a brother, Edward Joseph, who also enlisted, and a step brother from his father’s first marriage.

APPLICATION

He was single barman, eager to do his bit. He travelled to Brisbane on 16^th July 1915 to complete his application which showed his next of kin as his mother, Mary Daly, originally of Casino. This was amended to Mary Lally of Burringbar. His medical showed he was 22 years 11 months old, 5ft 3 ½ inches tall (1.61m), weighed 128 lbs (58kgs), with a fair complexion, brown eyes & dark hair.  His eyesight was good. Leslie was Roman Catholic.  He was enlisted as a private into the 31^st Infantry Battalion –A Coy with service No 184

31^st INFANTRY BATTALION

The 31st was raised in August 1915 as part of the 8th Brigade & it joined the 5th Australian Division in Egypt before heading to the Western Front in France in 1916. The 31st Infantry Battalion's legacy is marked by its resilience, bravery, and dedication to its missions. Its history is preserved through memorials and historical records, ensuring its contributions are remembered and honoured

ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

All the 31^st recruits attended the training camp at Rifle Camp, Enoggera. The Barracks Block was built as accommodation for men in two dormitories, each 36 feet by 22 feet (10.97 x 6.7 metres). Beds or bunks were not provided, instead each man slept on a palliasse with ground sheet on the floor. For many it was their first time away from home. Men from every walk of life, from clerks and teachers to factory and shop workers, were crammed together.

Now training for the new recruits began. Firstly, the men received their vaccinations for smallpox, rabies & plague, then a recruit had to be inducted into military forms of discipline, command, and order. This was partially achieved through a program of basic training carried and, in a sense, was maintained for a long as a man was in the service. It involved marching and drilling with the rifle, cleaning and caring for personal equipment and being supervised and inspected in ways quite different to ordinary civilian life. For example, no boots should be allowed to get in a bad state of wear but must be sent to the bootmaker without delay for repair. Men who were found with hair long and unshaven had to have a haircut and shave

Secondly, after basic training there followed the far more serious exercise of turning a man into a fighting soldier at least partially prepared for the kind of warfare he was about to experience overseas. The topics and exercises in the syllabus of training were a world away from their former lives and included daily physical training, entrenching, wiring, firing rifle grenades, firing the Lewis light machine gun, dealing with gas attack, using hand grenades, using the bayonet, and the routines to be followed in the trenches.

This training was then put into practice during what were called ‘Field Days,’ when men would practice using the skills they had acquired in mock attacks both by day and by night. How well men had learnt to use their weapons, in cooperation with each other in training, would be tested in the harsh reality of the front line. Training would take several months

VOYAGE OVERSEAS

Some of the 31^st battalion’s companies, however, were also raised at Broadmeadows Camp in Victoria. In early October, these two elements were united at Broadmeadows, and the battalion sailed from Melbourne on 9^th November 1915 on the HMAT Wandilla. They thought it was the start of a new adventure- for many it was their first time so far away from home. However, after some time at sea the biggest problem turned out to be boredom. Attempts at breaking up the boredom, apart from the regular drill, varied. Shipboard activities included regular church parades and concerts. Troops engaged in lifebelt drill; a cookhouse on deck; soldiers on fatigues peeling potatoes 'spud bashing'; going to the dentist; barber, pay day; soldiers cleaning personal equipment; medical inspection. Sports and recreation included boxing, deck quoits, draughts. Also, the commanding officer's morning inspection; kit inspections; submarine drill; recreation such as the on deck 'open air' library, deck billiards, pillow fighting and card games including Nap. As well, conditions on the ships were cramped and the risk of illness was constant. 

Leslie disembarked at The Suez on 7^th December 1915

EGYPTIAN TRAINING CAMP

The 31st joined the newly raised 5th Australian Division in Egypt. They had already completed their basic training in Australia but over many more tough months, in the Egyptian training camp, the volunteers left their old lives farther behind. They began their training with physical fitness exercises, they were taught individual and unit discipline, how to follow commands, how to march, some basic field skills and how to safely handle his weapons.  Later, as soldiers specialised in a particular area (for example, machine gunner or signaller) they would be trained in specific skills and would take part in practice manoeuvres and sham fights. They would spend many hours learning training in the use of bayonets, anti- gas training and guard duty along with lectures on camouflage or trench warfare and much more.

EGYPT MARCH 1016 TO JUNE 1916

The battalion was based near Tel el Kebir, Egypt. They were engaged in intensive training in trench warfare, musketry, and battlefield tactics. They organising and equipping the battalion for the move to western front and integrating reinforcements from Australia and veterans from Gallipoli.

WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE

The 8th Brigade joined the newly raised 5th Australian Division in Egypt, and proceeded to France, destined for the Western Front, in June 1916.  On 23^rd June 1916, the battalion embarked from Alexandria, Egypt, on ships bound for Marseilles, France, to join the fighting on the Western Front. Leslie was on the Honoria.

During this time, they began adapting to the European theatre’s expected conditions, including gas warfare drills and colder climate gear distribution.

On the Western Front in 1914–1918, both sides constructed elaborate trench, underground, and dugout systems opposing each other along a front, protected from assault by barbed wire. The area between opposing trench lines (known as "no man's land") was fully exposed to artillery fire from both sides. Attacks, even if successful, often sustained severe casualties. Trench warfare created a living environment for the men which was harsh, stagnant, and extremely dangerous. Not only were trenches constantly under threat of attack from shells or other weapons, but there were also many health risks that developed into large-scale problems for medical personnel. Apart from the inescapable cold during the winters in France, trenches were often completely waterlogged and muddy, and crawling with lice and rats

The time soldiers spent in the trenches varied depending on factors like their army's rotation system and the intensity of the conflict in their sector. On average:

·      Front-line trenches: Soldiers typically remained here for about 4–6 days at a time. This was where the fighting was most intense and the conditions were the harshest.

·      Support and reserve trenches: After time on the front line, soldiers were rotated to these positions for around 6–12 days. These trenches were set further back and offered slightly better conditions.

·      Rest periods: Soldiers were then moved away from the trench system entirely for rest, training, and recovery, often lasting several weeks, depending on operational needs.

The rotation system helped prevent complete physical and mental exhaustion, but the constant dangers of trench life meant there was rarely any true respite.

BATTLE OF FROMELLES 19^TH JULY 1916

The 31st Battalion fought its first major battle at Fromelles, having only entered the front-line trenches 3 days previously. It was intended as a diversion to prevent German reinforcements from moving to the Somme, but the attack was poorly planned and executed. Australian and British forces faced heavily fortified German positions near Aubers Ridge, including the "Sugar Loaf" strongpoint. The assault resulted in catastrophic losses, with over 5,500 Australian casualties, including nearly 2,000 killed. The battle is remembered as one of the darkest days in Australian military history. The attack was a disastrous introduction to battle for the 31st – it suffered 572 casualties, over half of its strength

KILLED IN ACTION 20^TH JULY 1916

Sadly, Leslie was one of the casualties being killed in action on 20^th July 1916.

FOR HIS SERVICE

He is commemorated in the Anzac Cemetery, Sailly-sur-la-Lys, Nord Pas de Calais, France. For his service, Leslie was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, and the Victory Medal and his name is recorded on the Murwillumbah War Memorial and thew Casino and District Memorial Hospital WW1 Roll of Honour. His name is recorded on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial No 118                    among almost 62,000 Australians who died while serving in the First World War.

If you have any additional information about this individual, we invite you to email us at rsl@msmc.org.au.