Pte Leonard 2nd reinforcements 28th Battalion. Served Gallipoli & France. Wounded in action Bullecourt 3/5/1917.
Offered is a suspension ring removed 1914-15 Star impressed named 1744 PTE R.J.LEONARD. 28/BN. A.I.F. Comes with copies of his Service record.
Robert John Leonard. Born 1890 Comptar Greenfields, Bristol England. Occupation Miner.
Enlisted 28/6/1915 at Blackboy Hill Western Australian. 2nd Reinforcements 28th Battalion. Regimental 1744.
Left Australia on HMAT Demosthenes 23/7/1915. Joined the Battalion Gallipoli 12/10/15.
Evacuated Gallipoli landed Murdos10/1/1916. France 16/3/1916. 17/11/1916 Hospital Trench fever. 3/5/1917 Wounded in Action (Bullecourt).20/6/1917 Trench fever. 25/1/1919 Returned to Australia.
The 28th's first major action came during the Battle of Pozières in late July and early August 1916 when they took part in two attacks. During the first attack, the 28th suffered heavily when they were committed to a night-time attack on the heights that got held up in heavy wire entanglements that the preparatory bombardment had failed to destroy; the battalion's losses were the heaviest in the 7th Brigade, amounting to 10 officers and 360 other ranks. A follow up attack was undertaken on 4 August, which proved more successful, eventually securing the objective. The following day, the Australians were subjected to heavy shelling before they were withdrawn on 6 August. After this, the 28th was moved to a quieter sector around Ypres before returning to the Somme in the later part of 1916, and taking part in further fighting around Flers. In early 1917, the Germans began a surprise withdrawal along the front, which enabled them to hold the line with fewer troops, thus gaining a pool of reserves. When the Allies discovered this, a brief advance followed, before they came up against the strongly prepared defences of the Hindenburg Line. After this, a series of attacks followed with the 28th Battalion being utilised mainly in supporting roles for the remainder of the year. Actions were fought at Bullecourt, Menin Road, Broodseinde and Poelcappelle during this time.
The battalion wintered in Belgium, but early in 1918 was transferred to the Somme again in response to the German Spring Offensive. In late March and into April, they defended the line around Villers-Bretonneux as the Allies fought to defend the vital railhead of Amiens, before providing support to the 6th Brigade's attack on Ville-sur-Ancre in May. A brief lull followed in June and July as the Allies attempted to regain the initiative, during which the 28th was involved in a minor action around Morlancourt. On 8 August, the Allies launched their Hundred Days Offensive during which the 28th Battalion was initially engaged around Villers-Bretonneux. It was there, on the first day of the offensive, that Lieutenant Alfred Gaby, performed the deeds that led to him becoming the 28th Battalion's first, and only, Victoria Cross recipient. A series of advances followed as the Allies exploited their initial success and sought to break the Hindenburg Line. In late August, the Australian 2nd Division advanced to the Somme River, and on 29 August, as the 7th Brigade attacked around Biaches, the 28th was assigned the task of capturing the Amiens–Peronne railway bridge. The following day, they forced their way across the river around Peronne, and during the subsequent Battle of Mont St Quentin–Peronne, they joined the 7th Brigade's advance towards Aizecourt-le-Haut. They continued fighting until early October 1918 when they were withdrawn from the line, just after an attack on the Beaureviour Line, around the village of Estrees.
The fighting throughout 1918 had heavily depleted the Australian units, which had been unable to make good their losses, and on 5 October, the entire Australian Corps was withdrawn for rest and reorganisation. The battalion remained out of the line until the war ended in November, after which they began to demobilise. The process was slow as personnel were repatriated back to Australia in drafts and consequently the battalion was not disbanded until March 1919. Throughout the war, casualties amongst the 28th totalled 787 killed and 2,241 wounded.
