Pte. John William Leslie

How are you related to Pte. John William Leslie?

Connect to the World Family Tree to find out

Pte. John William Leslie's Geni Profile

Share your family tree and photos with the people you know and love

  • Build your family tree online
  • Share photos and videos
  • Smart Matching™ technology
  • Free!

Pte. John William Leslie

Birthdate:
Birthplace: Kaupokonui, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand
Death: July 02, 1916 (19)
Armentieres, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France (World War I: Killed in Action.)
Place of Burial: [Otago Regiment Panel.], Armentieres, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
Immediate Family:

Son of James Leslie and Louisa Mary Leslie
Brother of Harold Nelson Leslie; Leonard James Leslie; Roy Claude Leslie; Walter Eric Leslie; Eric Cyril Leslie and 1 other

Occupation: Wellington Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion.
Find A Grave ID: 15289271
Service No: WWI 10/3936
Managed by: Jason Scott Wills
Last Updated:

About Pte. John William Leslie

John William Leslie was born at Kaupokonui in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island on 25 January 1897 (reg. 1897/1152). His parents were James Leslie and Louise Mary Leslie (née Dustow) who married in 1896. During World War I John served with the Wellington Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion (Service No. WWI 10/3936). When he enlisted at Trentham on 16 November 1915 he was underage but gave a birth year of 1895. 18-year-old John had lied about his age, the same as around 300 other young New Zealanders did, influenced by war propaganda and wanting to take part in the 'great adventure,' and perhaps buying into the romanticism of being hailed a war hero after it was over. The brutal reality of warfare and it's futility would be exposed by English poet and soldier Wilfred Owen. John was killed in action at Armentieres in France on 2 July 1916. He was just 19 years old and is remembered on the Cite Bonjean New Zealand Memorial [Otago Regiment Panel]. Bio by Debbie McCauley (9 October 2024).

Private Leslie may have died on the night of 2/3 July 1916 at Armentieres when the New Zealand Rifle Brigade relieved the 6th Australian Brigade in the Rue Marle sector. A very heavy bombardment of Armentieres made relief difficult, with artillery on both sides being more intense than anything previously experienced by the New Zealanders. Source: Cenotaph.

Sources

  1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
  2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohL.html / Ref 11.4.2021
view all

Pte. John William Leslie's Timeline

1897
January 25, 1897
Kaupokonui, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand
1916
July 2, 1916
Age 19
Armentieres, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France
July 2, 1916
Age 19
Cite Bonjean New Zealand Memorial, [Otago Regiment Panel.], Armentieres, Departement du Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France