31 January 2011

1977 Reginald Stanley McLeay

This is the story Bill has to tell about the return of a British War Medal awarded for service during WWI to 1977 Reginald Stanley McLeay:

'When Reg McLEAY's daughter, Daphne and her daughter travelled to Canberra several years ago to look up Reg's file, it in her words "opened a new world", her father had been 17 years and 9 months when he enlisted, not 19 as the family believed and certainly not the 18 shown of his enlistment forms.
Originally enlisted into the First Light Horse, he would later serve with the Artillery as a driver and then as a Bombardier. Reg would have as he always told his family a 'quiet war' in which nothing much happened.
In 1942 he would again enlist for service, this time serving through to November 1945, when he was discharged with the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2.
Sadly his health and the effects of having served in two World Wars caught up with him and he died six months after his discharge.
His British War Medal (BWM) will now go back to join his others.'
The returned medal tally is now 849.

Update on 8 May 11 - photos added.
 

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