Identity Discs: Lance Corporal Leslie Thomas McIntyre, 59 and 60 Battalions, AIF

PERS011.1 Obverse

PERS011.1 Reverse

PERS011.2 Obverse

PERS011.2 Reverse

PERS011.3

Center: L/Cpl  L. T. McIntyre. From a group photo of 59 Battalion NCOs taken 23 November 1918. On his left is 3171 Sgt P. Little DCM MM. Picture from Give Me Back My Dear Old Cobbers, by Robin S. Corfield, Corfield and Company, Victoria 2008.

ID Number    PERS011.1, .2 and .3

Title                Identity Discs: Lance Corporal Leslie Thomas McIntyre, 59 and 60 Battalions, AIF

Maker             Unknown

Object Type   Personal Equipment

Place made     Unknown

Date made      c 1916

Physical          Aluminium

Description

Description

Three round aluminium identity discs, each with a hole punched out at the top for a neck thong. The reverse of discs .1 and .2 have the Australian coat of arms embossed on them.  The obverse of disc .1 is engraved ‘1693 L.T McIntyre 59^th Batt A.I.F. M’. Disc .2 is similarly engraved, however, the number 59 has been voided and ‘60’ has been stamped over and next to it. The obverse of disc .1 is engraved ‘From Les to Grace 1916’. Disc .3 is stamped ‘1693 L T MC INTYRE 60 AIF METH’.

Summary

Leslie Thomas McIntyre was a 25 year old married potter from Brunswick, Victoria when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 23 February 1916. 1693 Private McIntyre embarked for overseas on board HMAT A17 Port Lincoln on 4 May 1916 with the 2 Reinforcement of the 59 Battalion.

He was taken on strength of the 5 Division Details at Tel el Kebir, Egypt on 9 July 1916. On 2 August embarked at Alexandria, Egypt and subsequently disembarked on 8 August at Marseilles, France. McIntyre marched into the 15 Training Battalion, Lark Hill, England on 21 August 1916. After a period of training there, he proceeded overseas to France on 11 November. The next day he marched into 5 Australian Division Base Details, Etaples, France. On 2 December 1916 Private McIntyre was taken on strength of the 60 Battalion.

After spending an entire year with his battalion he was sent to hospital sick between 1 and 12 December 1917. After rejoining his unit McIntyre was again sent to hospital sick on 26 December. On 20 January 1918 he embarked for England and was admitted to 1 Western Hospital, Liverpool with pneumonia.

On 24 May 1918 Private McIntyre began a course of instruction at the 5 Division Signal School (14 Training Battalion). On 22 August he proceeded overseas to France and arrived at the 5 Australian Division Base Details, Etaples, on 23 August. He rejoined the 60 Battalion on 27 August. McIntyre was appointed Lance Corporal on 16 September 1918. Nine days later, as part of the restructuring of the AIF, he was transferred to the 59 Battalion.

Lance Corporal McIntyre returned to Australia on 10 June 1919 and disembarked at 3 Military District on 5 August 1919. He was discharged on 19 September 1919.

The campaigns that Lance Corporal McIntyre took part in include: 

Second Battle of Bullecourt: 03 May 1917 - 17 May 1917

Ypres 1917: 31 July 1917 - 10 November 1917

Menin Road: 20 September 1917 - 25 September 1917

Polygon Wood: 26 September 1917 - 03 October 1917

Poelcappelle: 09 October 1917 - 09 October 1917

Passchendaele: 12 October 1917 - 12 October 1917

Mont St Quentin: 31 August 1918 - 03 September 1918

Hindenburg Line: 12 September 1918 - 09 October 1918 

For more information on the 60th Battalion, click here. 

For more information on the 59th Battalion, click here.