Leopold George Lamande was born in 1883 in Maryborough, Victoria. He was the son of Ambroise Lamande and Kate, née Harrington.
Ambroise was representative of Prunier and Company cognac, and, for a shorter period, of Roederer champagne. As such he made frequent trips around the country. In January 1892 he travelled to Western Australia aboard the Albany. Also on board was one Baron Swanston. Baron Swanston, right from the beginning, struck him as being ‘one of the most consummate liars I had ever met.’ Back in Melbourne Ambroise read a description of a man wanted by the police and labelled the ‘murderer of the century’, and realised he was identical with his co-passenger. He informed the police and the man, Frederick Bailey Deeming, was arrested on the WA goldfields
Leopold’s mother, Kate, died in 1899, when the family was living in Rathmines Road, Auburn. In 1902 Ambroise married Eugene Camille Dannay who had been teaching him French in preparation for the Alliance Française exams. By 1905 the Lamandes had moved to Amorique, 115 Hotham Street, East Melbourne where they stayed until 1919 by which time Leopold had returned from the war, and Ambroise had retired and returned to France with his wife and daughter, Alix. He died in Rennes, France in 1923.
By the time he enlisted on 19 July 1915 Leopold was living at Rainbow, Victoria. He gave his occupation as draper. He was 5ft 4ins tall with a dark complexion, grey eyes and black hair. He was appointed to the 23rd Battalion, 10th Reinforcements. While in camp he was struck down by meningitis and spent a month in the Alfred Hospital.
He embarked on 7 March 1916 aboard the Wiltshire. In Egypt he suffered sunburnt legs bad enough to be admitted to hospital. Leo wrote a long letter back home describing life in Egypt which he apparently found very comfortable, but was looking forward to going to France to do ‘his bit’. He described those already over there as about to ‘make new history for our country and names for themselves, that will live forever.’
On 2 August 1916 the troops travelled from Egypt to London where again he wrote a long letter home, which was mainly about his impressions of France as they travelled through. In England he had spent his whole time in camp, reporting:-
The training course here (which is totally different and more up to requirements than we had in Australia or Egypt) is supposed to be one of ten weeks, but by what I can hear, we will be sent over yonder as soon as possible. I don’t care how soon it is; I’m in tip-top health, altho Egypt cut capers with a lot of us.’
He left for France on 8 October and was taken on strength of the 23rd battalion on 1 November 1916. He was appointed lance corporal on 25 May 1917, promoted to corporal on 1 September and company quartermaster sergeant (CQMS) on 27 January 1918. He was wounded in action on 23 July 1918. It must have been a minor wound as no treatment was mentioned in his service record. He left for Australia on 29 May 1919 and disembarked 18 July 1919.
After the war he married Ethel Marie Forbes and had one son. He returned to his life as a draper. First he lived in Moonee Ponds, then Jeparit and finally, St. Arnaud where he died in 1946.
City of Melbourne Rate Books, Albert Ward, 1904-1920