Source: Elgin County Book of Remembrance
Leslie Allison, Service # 3130907
Leslie Allison was born on Oct 30, 1893 in St Thomas, Ontario. He worked as a shoe salesman throughout much of the war. However, on January 5, 1918, he travelled to London, Ontario to enlist.
Pte. Allison sailed aboard the SS Grampian and arrived in England on February 16, 1918. A little more than a week later he arrived at the Bramshott Training Camp. Following three months of training, he was sent to France, and arrived in Etaples on June 3, 1918.
Shortly thereafter, he was admitted to the field hospital with Influenza. He also struggled with an old wound to his thumb and was once again in the hospital on June 20. He recovered and on June 23 arrived at the Canadian Corps Relief Camp.
On August 17, Pte Allison was declared fit for duty and joined the 18th in the field.
The 18th Battalion War Diary notes that heavy action commenced on August 26 and that the troops endured “hours of desperate fighting”. The objective was to take the Fresnes-Rouvroy Line and the Dovercourt-Queant Line. The Diary further states that on August 28 “heavy casualties were suffered in the advance to the slope of the river” with 30 killed and 70 wounded.
Sadly, Pte Allison was one of the soldiers killed in action that day. He is buried in the Vis-en-Artois British Cemetery, Haucourt, France.
Written by Jill Campbell, January 2022.
War Diary of the 18th Battalion CEF 