In Memory of Leslie Crompton Blackman Private 3234 'D' Coy, 5th Battalion, AIF who died on Thursday 29th June 1916. Age 31. Son of William and Frances Emily Blackman of 12 Baird Street, Ballarat, Victoria. Buried in plot B.16 Berks Cemetery Extension, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium.

Location:
Berks Cemetery Extension is located 12.5 kilometres south of Ieper [Ypres] town centre on the N365 leading from Ieper to Mesen, Ploegsteert and on to Armentieres. From Ieper ... [take the] N336. 3.5 kilometres along the N336 [take] ... the right hand fork leads to the town of Mesen. The cemetery lies 3 kilometres beyond Mesen on the right hand side of the N365 and opposite Hyde Park Corner Royal Berks Cemetery.

Historical Information:
The cemetery is overshadowed on the North-West by Hill 63. It is also close to the 'Catacombs', which were deep shelters, capable of holding two battalions, and used from November 1916, onwards. Berks Cemetery Extension was begun in June, 1916, and used continuously until September, 1917. There are now nearly 900, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. The cemetery covers an area of 3,125 square metres.
Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission - http://www.cwgc.org

Source: Australian War Memorial 145 Roll of Honour cards, 1914-1918 War, Army http://www.awm.gov.au
Caleb Crompton would have been proud of his grand children.

1821 info13, sheet 2

	From Leslie Crompton's enlistment documents.  Note Frances' address in the letter. Source: National Archives of Australia - Gift to the Nation - Service Records

1821 info13, sheet 3

Right: Frances Blackman's letter in reply to an enquiry from the Base Records Office MelbourneInsert text here.

Above: William Blackman's signature on the receipt for the Memorial Scroll Source: National Archives of Australia - Gift to the Nation - Service Records

1821 info13, sheet 4

Leslie Crompton Blackman remembered in Ballarat

			On 5 July 1915 Leslie Crompton Blackman left his home at 709 MacArthur Street Ballarat to enlist. He was in training in the Broadmeadows Camp for about three months before embarking from Sydney on the HMAT 'A71' SS Nestor on 11 October 1915. After further training in Egypt he reached Marseilles, France on 30 March 1916. On 20 April 1920 Frances notified the Army of her new address at 12 Baird Street, Ballarat, (see left - taken in November 2003 and looking to be little changed from its original colonial style)
Right: A modern map locating 709 MacArthur Street, 12 Baird Street and 416 Creswick Road, the home of Maralena (Madalena) louisa Donald (nee Crompton). With thanks to Warren Power of Creswick for the photograph and map. Below: Ballarat's Avenue of Honour (Remembrance Drive), stands at the western entrance to the city and leads to the tree lined avenue that commemorates the soldiers of World War 1.
			Right: Tree number 798 is dedicated to Leslie Crompton Blackman, however in January 2005 the commemorative plaque was missing.

1821 info13, sheet 5

Leslie Crompton Blackman remembered in Ploegsteert, Belgium

Above: The Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, at the position known, during the war as Hyde Park Corner'. It commemorates the names of 11 447 men with no known grave and who fell in the area. Leslie Crompton Blackman's grave is to the right, two rows from the road. Below: The Sword of Sacrifice at Royal Berks Extension

Right: Leslie Crompton Blackman's headstone - September 2001. The family words, at the foot of the headstone, read: 'FOR KITH AND KIN HE GAVE HIS LIFE A SACRIFICE SUPREME O'ER ALL'

1821 info13, sheet 6

Leslie Crompton Blackman's life with the 5^th Battalion

30 March 1916	The Battalion arrived at Marseilles aboard HMT Briton.
31 March 1916	At 06.00 the Battalion disembarked.
04 April 1916	Initial training was begun at the Steentje base.
17 April 1916	Bayonet, musketry, gas drill and route marches training continued at Fort Rompu.
30 April 1916	Battalion moved to the quiet forward trenches of Fleurbaix, to gain experience.
13 May 1916	The 5th were relieved by 7th Battalion.
31 May 1916	Back to the lines for ten days of digging and sniping.
9/10 June 1916	Moved back to billets in various Belgium villages.
20 June 1916	'Orders were received that the Battalion was to proceed to Neuve Eglise, and over the Belgium border they marched to this place, where they were accommodated in small canvas bivouacs. Here the following three weeks were spent training and the inevitable fatigues. From here they shifted to the famous Ploegsteert Wood, a forest belonging to the King of Belgium (sic) and which became world famous under the name Plugstreet. Comfortable huts, sheltered by the hill, housed them here, and the inevitable fatigues recommenced. The fatigue parties were introduced to gas cylinders which they carried up to the front line. A heavy awkward burden for two men, they were laboriously transported and placed under the firing step in readiness for the attack, which took place a few days later, after the usual heavy bombardment. Only some few of the Fifth, who had been picked for raiding parties, were in the front line at this time.'

Source
Keown AW, 1921, ‘Forward with the Fifth - The story of Five Years’ War Service Fifth Battalion, AIF - Chapter XVII, The first Battle of Pozieres’, The Speciality Press PTY. Ltd, Melbourne
Speed Brig. FW, Ed, 1988 ‘ Esprit de Corps The history of the Victorian Scottish Regiment and the 5^th Infantry Battalion’, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 0 04 302007 0

MOVE       1. The Battalion will move to new Billets in the neighbourhood of
NEUVE ELISE today. Head of Coys. will be at [reference] G.9.c.38 at the following
times, dressed in Marching Order, with unexpired portion of day's rations, one
iron ration, water bottle filled, one blanket and waterproof sheet on the man:-
       C Company        1450       B Company        1455
       A    "           1500       D    "           1505
       M.G.Section      1510
       Specialist Platoons & H'qrs Detail          1515
       Transport        1520
ROUTE      2. From Starting Point G.9.c.38 to G3b.75/A.22.a.18/
STEENWERK ... to NEUVE EGLISE.
COMMAND    3. For the purpose of march discipline, Captain L.LEVY will act as
Battalion 2nd-in-command and move to the rear of the column. Lt.H.A.M. GRAY will
command Intelligence, Raiding and Grenade Platoons, together with the pioneers
and Headquarters' Details, who will move as a Company.
PRECAUTIONS 4. On the appearance enemy aircraft, units will halt and take cover
at the side of the road. Coy. Commanders will ensure that an interval of at least
250 yards is maintained from Coy. in front.
HALTS       5. Halts of ten minutes' duration will be made at 20 minutes past
clock hour.
...
REPORTS    10. Reports to the heads of column en route. The new position of
Battalion H'Qrs will be notified on arrival in new Billeting Area.
                                 (Sgd), H.H.G.O'LOUGHLIN  Lieutenant. Adjutant

Source: War Diaries of 5th Battalion AIF, July 1916, PRO WO95/3233

1821 info13, sheet 7

Plugstreet Wood

The woods in front of the Berks Extension Cemetery are Ploegsteert Woods (known as Plugstreet to the soldiers) and were the the south-eastern hinge of the Ypres Salient for the majority of the war and the location of the 1914 Christmas football match and fraternisation. Until the 1918 German push, in the Battle of the Lys (known as Fourth Ypres), this area was known as the 'nursery trenches', where battalions new to the front received their initiation and training, in this quiet sector of the trenches. There was no major activity in the area in June 1916.

Speculation as to Leslie Crompton's final action

The War Diaries of the 5th Battalion AIF reveal what may have been Leslie Crompton's last action.

Source: War Diaries of 5th Battalion AIF, July 1916, PRO WO95/3233

Pte. 3266 J Dillon was also killed on the same day and is buried next to Leslie Blackman.

1821 info13, sheet 8

  1. The battalion has been ordered to form Carrying Parties to handle
     Gas Cylinders as per details hereunder.
  2. The Cylinders will be brought up from railhead on nights of 27/28th and
     29/30th June in two Convoys A and B on each night....
  3. Carrying Parties for Convoy[s] will be found by 5th Battn. for
     [both nights as per Appendix A and B.]
  4. Unloading Parties will be furnished by ...
     Parties to report at 2330.
  5. The Routes to the Trenches for the Cylinders brought up by Convoy B
     will be HYDE PARK CORNER, MUD LANE-AND CORNER-PROWSE POINT.
     Squads will return by ONTARIO AVENUE-TRAMLINE-HYDE PARK  CORNER.
  6. Guides ....
  7. Poles & trench sticks ...
  8. Reception of cylinders in trenches ...
  9. Action in the event of a puncture ...
  10.Hostile ...
  11.Precautions ...

  APPENDIX 22   CONVOY "B" - FIRST NIGHT
  No of                  Strength   Carried    No. of   No. of     No. of
  Squad   Officer        O.Rank     for        Bay      Cylinder   Trench
                                                                         
  1      Lt. Samson       40        A.Coy      16        12         187
  2      Lt. Smith        40        A.Coy      15        12         ''
  . .......... .. .....   ..        .....      ..        ..         ..

  10     Lt. Chenu        40        D.Coy       2        12         ''
                                                                      
  Total  10 Officers     398 O.R.                       180

The war diaries do not give a clear cause for Leslie Crompton's death. However, a reliable eye witness account in The Australian Red Cross reports of the missing and wounded does.

It seems likely that he either died in the operations to move the gas cylinders or, as Ballarat's tribute to those who fought and died in World War 1 suggests, whilst volunteering for a bombing raid. Both would link to the family record him dying on "specially dangerous work in the front line".

On 12 July 1916 the Battalion moved to the Somme.

1821 info13, sheet 9

Scenes around Royal Berks Extension Cemetery

Double click on the map and photographs for a large version, in a new window.

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This page was created by Richard Crompton and maintained by Chris Glass	Version D9 Updated 29 September 2007