FAMILY LIFE

Leonard (Len) Irvine Hines was born on 12 Mar 1896 at “Colyers Leigh”, Moss Vale. Len was the fourth son in a family of nine boys and two girls born to Thomas Uridge Hines and Mary Ann (Patten) Hines. Len’s father, Thomas, had sustained a badly broken leg in a sawmill accident & was left unable to work again in that industry, so in 1903 he took Norman, his eldest son and went by boat and train to Murwillumbah. Here he was able to secure a lease on a farm and a selection of 150 acres adjoining the farm on Jackson’s creek at Zara. The rest of the family arrived in the Tweed in mid-1905. All except the eldest two children attended Zara Public School (later became Chillingham Public School).

 APPLICATION

With his parents’ written consent, Leonard enlisted in Brisbane on 27 Aug 1915 at the age of 19 years 5 months. His service record states that he was 5ft 6in (169cm) tall, weighed 9 stone 10 lbs (61kg), had brown hair, a fair complexion and was a farm labourer still living at Zara. Enlisting in the 13th Reinforcements of the 9th Battalion, he was allocated Service Number 4207 and the rank of Private.

 9^TH BATTALION

The 9th Infantry Battalion, also known as the "Fighting Ninth," has a proud history within the Australian Army. Its origins trace back to 1867, when it was formed as part of the Queensland Volunteer Rifle Corps. Over time, it evolved into the 9th Battalion of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) during World War I. It symbolizes courage, dedication, and service to Australia

 ENOGGERA TRAINING CAMP

As was the case with men from the Northern Rivers district in New South Wales, they trained at Rifle Range Camp, Enoggera near Brisbane. 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

Leonard embarked with his unit from Brisbane on board HMAT A55 “Kyarra” on 3 Jan 1916. 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.  They disembarked in Alexandria, Egypt on 19 February 1916.

THE WESTERN FRONT & TRENCH WARFARE

On 29 March Leonard proceeded from Alexandria on board the “Transylvania” and disembarked at Marseilles on 4 Apr 1916 to join the British Expeditionary Force in France. Initially stationed at the 1st Australian Divisional Base Depot, Leonard joined his Battalion from Reinforcements at Etaples, France on 25 May 1916.

 The soldiers now found themselves fighting the German in trench warfare. 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 & Belgium, 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.

 THE BATTLE OF POZIERES JULY 1916

The Battalion’s first major action in France was at Pozieres in the Somme Valley and took place during the Battle of the Somme. Australian forces played a crucial role, capturing the village of Pozières and enduring relentless German artillery bombardments, losing as many men in a few weeks as they did over eight months on Gallipoli. Less than one third of the Australian reinforcements had fought at Gallipoli; they were largely inexperienced and ill-prepared to deal with the deadly onslaught of the battle-hardened machine that was the German Imperial Army.

 The battle was marked by intense fighting, with Australian divisions suffering heavy casualties—over 23,000 men, including 6,800 killed or dying of wounds. Despite the losses, the Australians secured the high ground, which was vital for further Allied operations. On 29 July 1916 official Australian war correspondent Charles Bean recorded in his diary: “Pozieres Ridge is more densely sown with Australian sacrifice than any other place on earth”

 KILLED IN ACTION 23^RD JULY 1916

As part of the 1st Australian Division’s thrust towards the Old German Line on 22 Jul 1916, the 9th Battalion suffered considerable casualties. It attacked on the extreme right of the line and it was during this action on 23 July that Private Leonard Irvine Hines was killed; he was 20 years old.

 FOR HIS SERVICE

Leonard was buried in the Pozieres Battlefield by Rev. W.E. Dexter, 1st ANZAC. An enquiry was held into his death with evidence provided by three informants which confirmed he was killed by machine gun fire “about half past 12, in the middle of the day, July 23rd, 1916 in front of Pozieres” F.W. (Pte Kneebone 4216 9th Battalion AIF, Graylingwell Hospital).  As the location of his grave is unknown, his name appears on the Villers Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France. He is also remembered on The Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Panel 56, and The Murwillumbah Cenotaph. His personal effects, which comprised of a “Religious Book, Note Book, Belt, Handkerchief and Writing Pad” were returned to his mother

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