R4-062473 PTE L AUSTIN A.S.C. and Royal Warwickshire Regiment

R4-062473 PTE L AUSTIN A.S.C. and Royal Warwickshire Regiment

Leonard Austin was born in 1886. A groom in civil life, he was living at Montpelier Cottage, Fairfield, Buxton with his father and next of kin, William when he enlisted. He enlisted on 27 February 1915 for the duration of the war at Lathom Park, aged 30 years 4 months and was posted to the Remounts Depot the same day. His attestation was approved by the Assistant Commandant, Army Remount Depot, Ormskirk, on 5 March 1915 and he was posted to the Expeditionary Force ('A', 28th (later 20th) Squadron, 3 Base Remount Depot, Dieppe) on 27 March. At 3rd Base Remount Depot he was appointed Rough Rider on 28 March. A maintenance order also followed him, with a stoppage of pay of 4d a day for one child born on 31 July 1914 to Ada Summer of 56 Cemetery Road, Crewe.

Pte Austin spent 19 April to 4 September 1916 at home, possibly due to illness or an accident, and then was sent to No.1 Base Remount Depot on 5 September 1916.

On 13 June 1918 Pte Austin was compulsorily transferred to the 15th Royal Warwickshires at ASC rates of pay. With them he is likely to have taken part in the Battle of Albert (1918), Second Battle of Bapaume,  Battle of the Drocourt-Queant Line, Battle of Epehy, and the Battle of the Canal du Nord. He was then subsequently posted - presumably upon the disbandment of the 15th Warwickshire as part of the delayed reconstitution of the regular 5th Division on a 3 battalion per brigade basis - to the 16th (Service) Battalion (3rd Birmingham) on or around 6 October 1918 at Ytres.  He was wounded by a gas shell the following day - 7 October 1918 (over half the recorded use of gas and half the casualties occurred in the final year of the War; in this case the German gunners were probably using it as an area denial weapon). He was admitted to 14th Field Ambulance and then to 3rd Casualty Clearing Station that same day. He was sent home to the United Kingdom on 18 October and posted to depot. He was discharged as no longer physically fit for war service (paragraph 392 vxi of King's Regulations) on 14 January 1919, with 20% disabling Nephritis attributable to war service. His pension was 8 Shillings for one year, reducing to 7/6 for 70 weeks from 14 December 1921, his degree of disablement by this time being judged as 6-14%.

For his service he was entitled to one gold wound stripe and four blue chevrons, plus the Silver War Badge (number B.90380, acknowledged 14 February 1919), King's Certificate (acknowledged 26 February 1919), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Leonard AustinRegiment or Corps:Army Service Corps, Royal Warwickshire RegimentRegimental Number:R/4/062473, 48338