36th Depot BATTALION AIF
Private: 2356 Frederick Augustus LESTER/LEYCESTER.
(Aboriginal, Wonnaruah)
Born: 21st July 1866. Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. (No Birth Record) (Wonnaruah)
Married: 1910. Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. Marriage Cert:9958/1910.
Wife: Ethel Lester. nee: Waters. (19/09/1890-23/06/1976) (Wonnaruah)
Died: 6th May 1955. Mayfield via Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Death Cert:13793/1955.
Father: Edward Valentine Leycester. (1856-23/07/1915) Born Richmond, River, N.S.W. (Githabul)
Mother: Mary Ann Leyster. nee: Smith. (1856-1916)
Mother in Law: Harriett Waters. (1873-1961) (Wonnaruah)
Grandmother: Mary Jarret/Garrett. Born in Lismore, N.S.W.
INFORMATION
Private: 2356 Frederick Augustus LESTER/LEYCESTER.- Private: 7259 Alister Roy LESTER.- Private: 2109 Augustus Adolphus LEYCESTER/LESTER.
103 years ago today, on the 23rd August 1918, Private Augustus Adolphus Lester, 34th Battalion (Reg No-2109), labourer from Mount Olive, New South Wales, was Killed in Action, age 23.
No Roll of Honour circular submitted.
Born at Singleton, New South Wales on the 30th June 1895 as LEYCESTER to Edward Leycester (died 1915, Singleton, N.S.W.) and Mary (died 1913, Singleton, N.S.W.) Lester nee Smith, Augustus enlisted March 1916 at Singleton, N.S.W.
Wounded in action - 7.6.1917 (GSW back, severe, Battle of Messines), 3.4.1918 (GSW leg).
Augustus’s name has been inscribed on the Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France.
Mr. Lester’s name has also been inscribed on the Singleton & District War Memorial (photos, unveiled on the 29th November 1925, 566 names inscribed, 101 Honoured Dead - http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article81053362).
Older brother Frederick (Fredrick, photo in uniform), Depot, C Company, 36th Battalion, born 1886, died 1955, discharged at Rutherford Camp, 1.6.1916 (served 69 days, medically unfit, flat foot) resting same location. ANGLICAN 3-194. 39.
There is no headstone for Frederick, but a cross has been erected by persons unknown, therefore there is no memorial inscription to tell us of the supreme sacrifice of brother Augustus during The Great War, and as I am unable to erect a memorial cross so I have placed poppies in remembrance of the service of these two brothers.
Frederick Lester (1886-1955) Sandgate Cemetery, N.S.W.
Many thanks to Mr. Lester's Great Grandson Stephen Bowes for the notification and family history.
Gary Mitchell. August 2021.
Family Information
Frederick was a married Labourer from Singleton, N.S.W. upon his enlistment with the AIF.
Ethel Lester nee: Waters. (1890-1976) Barbara Lester -Frederick Lester (1866-1955)
Edward Valentine Leycester. (1856-1915)
Fredericks Mother in Law. Harriett Waters (1873-1961) Redbourneberry Common, Singleton, N.S.W.
The Wonnarua / Wanaruah people are the traditional land owners of the Singleton area and their lands extend throughout the Hunter Valley. The Wonnarua / Wanaruah have occupied the Upper Hunter for at least 30,000 years, with traditional knowledge holding that occupation extends back to the early stages of the Dreaming.
A dreamtime story from the Wonnarua / Wanaruah explains how the hills and rivers in the Hunter Valley were created by a spirit called Baiame. Before this, there was nothing- everything was sleeping. Then the spirit awoke and created everything - the mountains, plains, rivers and living things.
Military Records
© Commonwealth of Australia (National Archives of Australia)
Under Construction: 23/08/2021-25/08/2021.
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