NESBITT, Leslie Samuel James

Leslie, the son of James and Margaret Nesbitt, was born in the Inverell District in 1891. He was a married man of twenty four years of age, working as a Grocer when he enlisted at Armidale in March 1916.

Leslie became a member of the 33rd Battalion, 3rd Reinforcement which left Australia on HMAT A68 Anchises in August 1916. After arrival in England further training was undertaken at Salisbury Plain until the Battalion was sent to France in November.

Private Nesbitt was only in France on week before he was wounded and invalided back to England where he was admitted to Chatham Hospital with a gunshot wound to his arm. In fact, the index and middle fingers of his left hand had been blown off. Eventually the decision was made to return him to Australia where he was medically discharged in October 1917 and granted a pension.

Before the War, Leslie had been a member of the Inverell Civilian Rifle Club. His name is inscribed on the Stannifer Honor Roll which was unveiled in 1921. His brother, James, tried four times to enlist and was rejected as physically unfit for service.