Leslie Charles Allen MM (1916 - 1982)

Born 9 Nov 1916 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 11 May 1982 at age 65 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

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Biography

Leslie Allen MM is Notable.

Leslie Charles (Clarence) Allen MM (1916-1982), was born on 9 November 1916 at Ballarat East, Victoria, the second son of Clarance Walter Allen, and his wife Ruby Ethel, née Robertson. His early childhood was marred by domestic violence until he and his sister were abandoned and raised in an orphanage. At about 12 he started working, as a farm labourer. On 19 April 1940 he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, giving his middle name as Clarence and his date of birth as 9 September 1918.

In September 1940 Allen embarked for the Middle East with reinforcements for the 2/5th Battalion. He was posted to `D’ Company as a stretcher-bearer. Five ft 11 ins (180 cm) tall, with green eyes and black hair, he was physically strong. He got his nickname `Bull’ for charging through the opposition while playing Australian Rules football with the battalion.

Allen fought during the Libyan campaign in January and February 1941, he was admitted to hospital with `anxiety neurosis’ in early April. Rejoining the battalion before the Syrian campaign, on 10-11 July near Khalde when, under heavy shell-fire, he attended to casualties all night, and next morning, although fatigued, walked 6 miles (10 km) to get transport.

The 2/5th left the Middle East in March 1942, to return to Australia in August, and sailed to Papua in October. Allen contracted malaria but was fit for the defense of Wau, New Guinea, in January-February 1943. On mountain tracks his strength, stamina, devotion to comrades and bravery were invaluable. He was awarded the Military Medal for rescuing wounded men under fire in the Crystal Creek area on 7-8 February 1943. The citation noted that `Private Allen’s bearing and his untiring efforts in tending the wounded and helping with rations and stores were an inspiration’. Promoted to acting corporal in April (confirmed August), he received the United States’ Silver Star for rescuing American casualties under heavy fire at Mount Tambu on 30 July 1943. Although slightly wounded, and unarmed, he single-handedly carried to safety twelve men before collapsing from exhaustion. His gallantry, captured in a photograph by Gordon Short, evoked, according to the citation, `the unstinted praise of all who witnessed his action’. Leslie was under no obligation to go and rescue the injured Americans, his unit was on standby, but when he saw that two American medics had been killed, Leslie went to help. His bravery at Mount Tambu was never recognized by Australian Authorities. He did receive the highest military medal a non American could be awarded, it has been said that if he had have been an American that day he would have received the Medal of Honor.

It became clear after Leslie returned to Australia in September 1943 that he was badly affected by the war. His behaviour became erratic and in February 1944 he struck an officer and was demoted. He was assessed as suffering `constitutional temperamental instability’ with `anxiety symptoms’, as well as malaria, and was medically discharged on 10 September 1944.

Allen lived with an uncle while recovering, having temporarily lost the power of speech. At the Salvation Army Citadel, Malvern, Melbourne, on 23 April 1949 he married Jean Elizabeth Floyd, a former army nurse. He worked as a labourer and later as a hospital orderly at Ballarat Base Hospital. On his small acreage, he raised pigs and broke horses. He was well known around Ballarat and popular with tourists at Sovereign Hill, the re-created gold-mining town, where he demonstrated the horse-drawn Chilean mill used to crush quartz. For most Anzac Days he went to Melbourne and carried his unit association’s banner in the march. Survived by his wife, and their daughter and three sons, he died of diabetes and myocardial infarction on 11 May 1982 at Sovereign Hill and was cremated.

Select Bibliography

Sources

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xinlXxT1lTk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts_iAftE8Jo
• https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:CV6W-FQ3Z
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_Silver_Star_recipients
• http://www.ddoughty.com/ww2-les-bull-allen.html
• https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=photos+leslie+bull+allen&qpvt=photos+lesile+bull+allen&form=IGRE&first=1&scenario=ImageBasicHover

See also:

• Wikipedia : Clarence "Bull" Allen
• Wikidata: Item Q17917657, en:Wikipedia

• John Moremon, Allen, Leslie Charles (Clarence) (1916–1982), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allen-leslie-charles-clarence-12130/text21731, published first in hardcopy 2007, accessed online 26 March 2022.

• Find a Grave, database and images accessed 26 March 2022, memorial page for Leslie Charles “Bull” Allen (9 Nov 1918–11 May 1982), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #205644443, citing Ballarat New Cemetery and Crematorium, Ballarat, Ballarat City, Victoria, Australia ; Maintained by Shane (contributor 49774181) . (note no gravestone photograph as yet)