HEMING, Captain Leslie Duncan, MiD

CAPTAIN LESLIE DUNCAN HEMING, MiD

16th Battalion AIF

by Ian Curtis

Captain Leslie Duncan Hemingⁱ

“He was a man of the most lovable disposition”

Leslie Duncan Heming was born on 21 April 1890 in Kooringa, Burra, South Australia to Thomas and Grace (née Vercoe) Heming. He was one of six children. His father, prior to leaving England for Australia, had served as a Life Guardsman in H.M. Household Cavalry. When he arrived in Australia, he continued his military service as a Trooper in the Adelaide Lancers and took up the licence of the York Hotel. He later acquired the licence of the Selbourne Hotel, Pirie Street, Adelaide. Following his death in 1907, the licence of the hotel was transferred to his wife on 14 December 1909, until she relinquished it on 1 March 1911. The Selbourne Hotel was a meeting place for many organisations, including the South African Soldiers’ Association, Locomotive Bowling Club, Rifle and other sporting clubs and the British Association.

Leslie attended both the Grange Public School and Muirden College, which at the time was known for preparing students for the Civil Service examinations. In January 1906 while sailing with a group in a 14-foot canoe, the craft capsized. Fortunately, all on board could swim. When the boat righted itself, they were all able to cling to the craft. A number of people on Henley Beach saw what happened and a Mr Caust, inspired by heroism, began to swim out to a dinghy, raise the anchor and row out to rescue the stranded people. Unfortunately, the fairly heavy seas caused him to struggle and soon he disappeared. Meantime, Leslie’s brother Hector struck out for the dingy, but was unable to release it from its moorings and he returned to the beach. Ultimately, a boat brought all ashore after they had hung onto the canoe for three-quarters of an hour. Mr Caust’s body was recovered a few days later. ⁱⁱ

Leslie’s oldest brother, Thomas George Heming enlisted as a Trooper (Regimental Number 554) with the 6^th South Australian Imperial Bushmenⁱⁱⁱ during the Boer War and was promoted to Lance Sergeant prior to discharge. In March 1916, he applied for a commission in the AIF, was appointed Captain in the 43^rd Battalion and was promoted to Major on 1 June 1916. He was again commissioned during the Second World War, appointed Major with the 8^th Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps. His other brother Hector Roy Heming, was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on 18 August at Morphettville and served with the 10^th Battalion, reaching the rank of Major. Both brothers returned to Australia and took up irrigation leases in the Waikerie District and grew fruit.

Leslie was employed by the South Australian Railways, working as a clerk with the Locomotive Superintendent at the Islington Railway Workshops, Kilburn.

Islington Railway Workshops South Australia ^iv

Leslie Heming took a keen interest in military matters, initially with the Senior Cadets before becoming Company Commander in the 78^th Infantry Regiment (Adelaide Rifles). He was appointed to a vacancy when Major Oldham, the previous Company Commander, vacated the position of area officer at St Peters to join the 10^th Battalion. Leslie was promoted to Captain,^v and it was reported he did a very fine job.

When war was declared on 4 August 1914, the Prime Minister Joseph Cook pledged Australia’s support. Leslie was commissioned on 23 September. He was appointed 2^nd Lieutenant in the 16^th Battalion and undertook initial training at Morphettville and Oaklands. He stood six feet tall, weighed 173 pounds and was 24 years of age when he joined. The South Australian element under Major Edgar Kendall Baker marched from their camp on a wet afternoon to the Morphettville railway station and at 3.30pm on Sunday 22 November 1914, travelled by train consisting of 10 carriages to Melbourne to undertake further training with the Western Australian members of the battalion.^vi The 16^th Battalion was part of Colonel John Monash’s 4^th Brigade.^vii

Prior to embarkation, the 4^th Brigade marched from Broadmeadows to Melbourne and return, a distance of 25 miles on 17 December 1914, with the Governor-General taking the salute in front of the Federal Parliament House. The 16^th Battalion left Melbourne on the troopship A40 HMAT Ceramic on 22 December 1914, stopping in Albany before reaching Egypt in early February 1915, where the 1^st Division had already been in training. The 4^th Brigade became part of the New Zealand and Australian Division.

The 16^th Battalion landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula late on the afternoon of 25 April 1915, with much of the battalion taking up a position that became known as Pope’s Hill, named after Lieutenant Colonel Harold Pope, the first commander of the 16^th Battalion. They remained there until they were relieved and went behind the front line and commenced digging, in order to protect themselves from enemy fire. On 30 April 1915, Leslie was shot in the left hand and was evacuated and admitted to the Deaconess Hospital, Alexandria for treatment. A month later, Leslie was discharged from hospital for duty and returned to his unit, being promoted to Captain on 1 May, replacing Captain Herbert Pascoe Howard Brittain^viii who had been invalided home.

Leslie took command of D Company on his return. On 8 August he was killed in action at Hill 971. On the night of the 6-7 August, the 4^th Brigade led by Brigadier General Monash was part of a large contingent commanded by Major General Herbert Cox, with the goal of capturing three main objectives – Chunuk Bair, Hill Q and Hill 971 – before daylight on the morning of 7 August. The force were severely hindered because of the rough terrain and over the following few days, many men lost their lives. There were no further attempts to capture Hill 971. Leslie was shot in the leg, then in the thigh during the attack. While being treated for these wounds with a field-dressing, he was shot through the head.^ix Leslie’s body was never identified.^x

Lieutenant Colonel Pope, on the day of Leslie Heming’s death, wrote the following recommendation, ‘Captain Heming, who was wounded whilst leading his company and was subsequently shot dead whilst a field dressing was being applied. He did excellent work yesterday morning during the process of seizing our present position and organising lines of trenches. He spared no fatigue in that work and was consequently very tired this morning.’

Captain Leslie Duncan Heming was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches in Government Gazette 44, on 6 April 1916.

The Register (Adelaide) printed a report of interview with Major Baker, recently returned to Australia for six months’ leave. He said: “The news of the death of Captain Heming has come as a great shock to me, as he was a man of the most lovable disposition, and a great favourite. He was placed in command of D Company very soon after I was invalided home wounded. He was one of 10 officers who left South Australia with the 16^th Battalion and was the last to remain at the front, the other nine, including myself, having been killed or wounded. There are only three left, the other two being Captain John Kingsley Langsford and Lieutenant A P Finlay both of whom are in hospital in England. During the time that we were training in Australia and Egypt he was my right-hand man, and when I was away from the company on other duties, he carried out the training in a most capable and efficient manner, which led to his early promotion after reaching the front. From the very start he earned the esteem of his brother officers, and was looked up to by the men, who showed that they had implicit confidence in him, and were prepared to follow him anywhere. He was wounded in the hand early in the first week of the campaign, but recovered quickly, and returned to active service. I deeply deplore his death.”^xi

Leslie’s property was gathered and sent home to Australia to his mother. One trunk was locked and left unopened, but the contents of the other one were itemised before being sent home. The items listed included sheet music, a Mason’s apron, his sword and scabbard, a revolver and a helmet.

Leslie is recognised with many Australian Soldiers on the Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 50) at Gallipoli, for those with no known grave, and on the Roll of Honour (panel 79) at the Australian War Memorial.

He is also recognised on the Adelaide National War Memorial, the Kilburn Memorial, Railway Station Honour Board for the South Australian Railways and on the Islington Railway Workshop Roll of Honour 1914 – 1918.

The Notice below was printed, at the request of members of the Locomotive Bowling Club, by The Advertiser (Adelaide) on Thursday 11 November 1915. Members had met for many years at the Selbourne Hotel, the licence of which until 1911, had been held by the parents of Leslie Heming.

LEST WE FORGET

Captain Leslie Duncan Heming’s Memorial Plaque

On display at the Maryborough Military and Colonial Museum

References.

1. NAA B2455 HEMING, Leslie Duncan
2. www.ancestry.com
3. www.aif.adfa.edu.au
4. The Chronicle (Adelaide SA) 31 January 1906
5. The Register (Adelaide SA) Monday 23 November 1914
6. The Chronicle (Adelaide SA) Saturday 26 December 1914
7. The Register (Adelaide SA) Wednesday 25 August 1915
8. www.awm.gov.au
9. South Australia State Records
10. Yorke’s Peninsula Advertiser Friday 8 November 1907
11. Margetts R, The Thrust for Hill 971

i^ GRG26, Series 5/5, Special List, page 21/1771, Photographic Portraits of South Australian Soldiers 1914 – 1919 at State Records, Leslie Duncan Heming.

ii² The Chronicle (South Australia) 31 January 1906

iii³ A force of 234 men Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel J Rowell between May 1900till 27 July 1901

iv⁴ The Islington Railway Workshops Roll of Honour is mounted to the wall, ground floor, centre. It contains 984 names of employees that served in both World War One and Two.

v⁵ In March 1913 Leslie was appointed a 2^nd Lieutenant (provisional) in the Regiment.

vi⁶ Register (Adelaide) Monday 23 November 1914

vii⁷ The 4^th Brigade consisted of the 13^th Battalion (NSW) 14^th Battalion (Victoria) 15^th Battalion (Queensland and Tasmania) and 16^th Battalion (South Australia and Western Australia)

viii⁸ NAA: B2455 Heming, Leslie Duncan

ix⁹ Longmore, Captain C, Old Sixteenth, Being a record of the16th Battalion AIF page 76

x¹⁰ Ibid page 77

xi¹¹ Register (Adelaide) Wednesday 25 August 1915.

ANZAC Biographies

On our website you will find the biographical details of ANZAC (as well as British) servicemen & women whose medals or other memorabilia form part of the collection on display at the Maryborough Military & Colonial Museum, Maryborough, Queensland, Australia.