McLEOD, George Reginald Arthur

George Reginald Albert McLeod was born in Northcote in May 1896 and enlisted to serve in the war in 1914, when he was just twenty years and three months old. His father, George Frederick McLeod, a civil servant,was then living at 'Airlie', 314 Albert St., East Melbourne with his wife Elizabth, nee Williams and   Reg. gave this address as that of his next of kin. He enlisted on 17 August, 1914, following almost immediately on the declaration of war on 14 August, 1914. He already had some military training, having served two and a half years with the 64th Infantry. He was generally called Reg., presumably because  his father was also George. Reg McLeod was 5' 7 1/2", with fair hair and blue eyes. He gave his religion as Wesleyan.

There is nothing in his record to show where he trained, but he was placed with the 6th Infantry Battalion. The 6th, like the 5th, 7th and 8th Battalions was raised within Victoria.  They left on 19 October, 1914, on HMAT Hororata A20, for Egypt via Albany, Western Australia, where they met with the other ships of the ANZAC fleet. They arrived in Egypt on 2nd October and underwent further training. On 25th Aptil. 1915, the 6th Battalion formed part of the 2nd wave of infantry at Anzac Cove, before moving to Cape Helles to take part in the disastrous attack on Krithia. 

Reg McLeod was wounded, most probably at Krithia, with rifle wounds to his back and leg. On 14 May, he was transported on the hospital ship H.M.T. Braemar Castle and taken to Malta, where he was placed in St. Andrew's Hospital. He stayed there around four months, then on 13 September, took up the role of clerk in a munitions factory 'until fit for service'. On 15 November, he was promoted to Corporal and returned to Egypt, landing at Mudros, before proceeding to Giza, where he was taken on strength, rejoining his battalion on 11 January, 1916. 

He may not have been completely well. On 19 February, Reg McLeod was transferred from the 6th Battalion to the 55th Battalion and taken on strength on 29 February. On the 29 February, he was moved again, to the 22nd Battalion. He was only with them a short time, and was sent to hospital sick on 1 April, 1916. On 12 May, he was transferred again, this time to the 5th Division Cycle Corps.

 On 19 June, 1916, He was part of the contingent moving from Egypt to the Western Front, to join the British Expeditionary Force and once there was detached to rejoin the Cyclists Battalion. 

By then the major battle areas were on the Western Front and on 19 June, Reg McLeod and the other soldiers in the 5th Cycling Battalion were sent to France, to join the rest of the British Expeditionary Force. Reg was promoted to Warrant Officer and detached to rejoin the 2nd Cyclists Battalion, 5th Division. On 29 October, he was found to have Gonorrhea and was transferred to hospital in Calais on 1 November. From here he was sent to the 51st General Hospital at Etaples, and was dishcarged on 4 December. He marched out to the Australian General Base and rejoined the 2nd Anzac Cycling Battalion on 16 December, 1916. 

The last two years of the war saw him made Corporal on 6/5/15 ,  Sergeant on 22/2/16,then promoted to Company Sergeant Major on 24/5/17, then Temporary Warrant Officer, then Company Sergeant Major on 19/8/17. ON 28 Spettenber, he went to Paris on leave, before rteurning to hsi unit. During the last year time, he was often moved - from the 22nd Cycling Corps to the 13th Australian Corps Infantry School for training, then taken on strength with the 32nd Battalion on 28 May 1918, and then back to the 22nd Battalion on 8 June 1918. After the war, there was a brief investigation into his many promotions, which were then listed in his record.

On 28 September, 1918, he left the war behind, taking leave to return to Australia. On  8/10/ he mabraked from Taranto, Italy, to go back home. His had been a long war, and his orginal wounds fomr Gallipoli may have directed many of the changes in his military career. He married Mona Myearea, but they had no children. In 1924, they were living at 12 Kelvin Grove, Kew, and he was working as a cutter. In the later years, the couple were living at Black Rock. Reg died on 23 June 1964 and is buried with other members of his family at Boroondara Cemetery in Kew. Mona died in 23 Otober,1968 and is also buried there.