Western Front (Part 2)

About eight kilometres south of the Belgian border, in France, is Fromelles. In July 1916, in just one day, 5300 Australians and 1500 British men were wounded, missing or killed. This is the memorial at that site.

Australian Memorial Park, Fromelles with V C Corner Cemetery in the background.

Australian Memorial Park, Fromelles

We visited the Rue du Bois cemetery near Fleurbaix, about 3 km from Fromelles, to pay respect to Phil's great-uncle, David Ray Leed from a farm at Mologa in Victoria. He was killed in action 15 July 1916 aged 22.

Rue du Boix Cemetery, Fleurbaix

Butterfly at Rue du Boix Cemetery, Fleurbaix

Ray Leed's headstone, Rue du Boix Cemetery, Fleurbaix

Every war cemetery has a cemetery register and a visitor book, safely stored in a niche with a metal door. It's a very impressive arrangement. Phil signed the book at Rue du Boix Cemetery, Fleurbaix.

We then found 'V C Corner cemetery near Fromelles to find the name of my grandmother, Dorothy Wyllie nee Taylor's cousin, John Henry Brown from Cobden who was killed in the action on 19 Jul 1916. His body was never identified so his name is on a panel in this cemetery.

John Henry Brown, listed among the missing, on a panel at 'VC Corner' cemetery near Fromelles.

VC Corner Cemetery, Fromelles

VC Corner Cemetery, Fromelles. 

VC Corner cemetery in the background and the sign on the right says 'German Front Line 19-20 July 1916'

Trove Tuesday: Private Leed K.I.A.

 Bendigonian 14 Sep 1916, p2

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/91387566

 

We know quite a lot about great-uncle David Ray Leed*, or Ray as he was known, because we have letters he wrote home from Egypt and France in WW1 as well as his enlistment papers from the National Archives of Australia.

But it seems there's always more. When I typed his name into the search box at Trove today I discovered that two months after his death two articles appeared in a Bendigo paper - one (above) included a photo and the other (below) a brief biography. His family lived at Central Mologa north of Bendigo. 

Bendigonian, 14 Sep 1916, p24

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/91387550

The telegram received by Ray Leed's mother.



P.S. The name RAY is actually a family name. It's the surname of his great-grandmother, Susannah RAY who was born in 1804 in Denford, Northhamptonshire, England.

*David Ray LEED, son of David LEED and Mary Ann ANDREW was born on 10 Aug 1893. He died on 16 Jul 1916 in France.

Military record: Enlisted 17 Jul 1915; Private 23 Battalion, 7th Reinforcement; Embarked 26 Nov 1915 on 'Commonwealth'; Killed in Action at Pozieres, Somme, France 15 Jul 1916; Buried Rue-Du-Bois Cemetery (Plot I, Row F, Grave 7), Fleurbaix, France.