William Leahy (DCM)
Encyclopedia
William Leahy was an Australian recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
for an act of "great courage" during the First World War.
, Victoria
to Thomas and Elizabeth Leahy on 27 March 1893. He had at least one sibling, a brother named John Francis who also served during the First World War.
on 24 July 1915 and embarked for training in Egypt
aboard the HMAT Thermistocles on 5 October.
After serving with the 14th Training Battalion Pte Leahy embarked for Marseille
aboard the Franconia on 8 August 1916 and proceeded to England
where he was assigned to the 5th Training Battalion and 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD) before being transferred to the 45th Battalion
Reinforcements.
on 4 December 1916.
The citation for Leahy's DCM appeared in the London Gazette
on 18 July 1917. It was much less detailed:
for "ritous" [sic] behaviour. Based on his service record, it seems such behaviour was almost routine with numerous military convictions recorded both before and after receiving his DCM:
In total Pte Leahy was sentenced to over five months of Field Punishment No 2 (essentially heavy labour), four days of detention and fined an additional 31 days of pay.
on 11 August 1918—he was 25 years old. Pte Leahy is now buried in grave I.F.14 at the Heath Cemetery in Harbonnieres
, France.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
for an act of "great courage" during the First World War.
Early life
Leahy was born in KilmoreKilmore, Victoria
Kilmore is a town in the Australian state of Victoria. Located north of Melbourne, it is contentiously claimed as Victoria's oldest inland settled town...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
to Thomas and Elizabeth Leahy on 27 March 1893. He had at least one sibling, a brother named John Francis who also served during the First World War.
Enlistment and training
Leahy volunteered with the Australian Imperial Force at CootamundraCootamundra, New South Wales
Cootamundra is a town and Local Government Area in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia and within the Riverina. At the 2006 census, Cootamundra had a population of 5,566. It is located on the Olympic Highway at the point where it crosses the Muttama Creek, between Junee and...
on 24 July 1915 and embarked for training in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
aboard the HMAT Thermistocles on 5 October.
After serving with the 14th Training Battalion Pte Leahy embarked for Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
aboard the Franconia on 8 August 1916 and proceeded to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he was assigned to the 5th Training Battalion and 2nd Australian Divisional Base Depot (ADBD) before being transferred to the 45th Battalion
45th Battalion (Australia)
The 45th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Raised for service during World War I, the battalion served in the trenches on the Western Front in France and Belgium from mid-1916 until the end of hostilities in November 1918. Following this, it was disbanded in May 1919...
Reinforcements.
Western Front
Pte Leahy only served with the 45th Battalion for 36 days before being transferred to the 19th Battalion while in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 4 December 1916.
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The GOC 5th Australian Infantry Brigade recommended Pte Leahy for the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 13 May 1917 for actions which he conducted during what would become known as the Second Battle of Bullecourt:The citation for Leahy's DCM appeared in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 18 July 1917. It was much less detailed:
Troublemaker
Before joining the AIF, Leahy had been convicted at CulcairnCulcairn, New South Wales
Culcairn is a town in the south east Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Culcairn is located in the Greater Hume Shire Council Local government area on the Olympic Highway between Albury and Wagga Wagga...
for "ritous" [sic] behaviour. Based on his service record, it seems such behaviour was almost routine with numerous military convictions recorded both before and after receiving his DCM:
| Date | Offence | Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| 8 February 1916 | Drunkenness; An Act and Conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline | 3 months FP No 2 Field punishment Field punishment was a military punishment formerly used in the British Army and other armies of the British Empire. It could be awarded only to soldiers on "active service", meaning during war time, in a country occupied by the enemy. It was introduced in 1881 following the abolition of flogging,... |
| 28–30 July 1916 | Absent Without Leave; Resisting a military escort | 7 days FP No 2 3 days pay |
| 5–8 October 1916 | Absent Without Leave | 96 hours detention 28 days pay |
| 24 January 1917 | Drunkenness; Striking a soldier | 14 days FP No 2 |
| 5 August 1917 | Drunkenness | 14 days FP No 2 |
| 4–5 September 1917 | Absent Without Leave | 7 days FP No 2 |
| 22 January 1918 | Unproperly dressed while in Bailleul Bailleul, Somme Bailleul is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Situated in the west of the department, 5 miles to the south of Abbeville, on the D93 road.-Population:-External links:* * * *... ; Absent Without Leave |
14 days FP No 2 |
| 16 February 1918 | Wilfully damaging property of a French civilian | 14 days FP No 2 |
In total Pte Leahy was sentenced to over five months of Field Punishment No 2 (essentially heavy labour), four days of detention and fined an additional 31 days of pay.
Killed in Action
Pte Leahy was one of twenty members of the 19th Battalion who were listed as Killed or Missing in Action during an attack on German lines near FramervilleFramerville-Rainecourt
Framerville-Rainecourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated east of Amiens on the D329 and a few hundred yards from the A29 autoroute.-Population:-External links:*...
on 11 August 1918—he was 25 years old. Pte Leahy is now buried in grave I.F.14 at the Heath Cemetery in Harbonnieres
Harbonnières
Harbonnières is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The commune is situated on the D337 road, some east of Amiens.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, France.