Baxter, Leslie James
| Date of Birth | 1900-07-01 |
| Date of Death | 1962-12-15 |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Place | Australia, Victoria, Richmond |
Service Details
| Service | RAN - Royal Australian Navy |
| Date of Entry | 1915-08-14 |
| Rank | Ordinary Seaman |
| Official Number | 5349 |
| Discharged Date | 1918-12-04 |
| Discharge Type | Invalided - Unfit for Naval Service |
| Service Period | 1915-1918 |
| Active Service (War service) | WW1 |
| Service Record | Yes |
| Ship | Tingira & Refer Service Record see Sources |
Other Details
| Tingira | Yes |
Cemetery Details
| Cemetery Name | Faulkner Park Cemetery |
| Cemetery Address | Hadfield, VIC |
| Demonination/Area | Catholic |
| Section | Unknown |
| Grave Number | 14395 |
| Grave Type | Burial - Grave |
Notes
By Tony Vine ORDINARY SEAMAN 2ND CLASS LESLIE JAMES BAXTER RAN 5349 Leslie James Baxter was born in Richmond Victoria, the third born of five children of Frank and Edith Baxter. Leslie enlisted as Boy Seaman on HMAS Tingara on the 14th of August 1915. He joined HMAS Cerberus in March 1916 and was rated that month as a Bugler which might explain why he did not complete 12 months on Tingara. After nine months at Cerberus, possibly completing bugle training, he posted to the Protected Cruiser HMAS Encounter in December 1916. Leslie was not rated Ordinary Seaman 2nd Class until he was 17 and a half, rather than the normal time which was on a Boy’s 17th birthday. On turning 18 in July 1918 he enlisted for a period of seven years. This was despite him having lost a leg above the knee in an accident on Encounter on the 16th of April 1918. He was retained in the RAN until his claim for a war pension was decided and he was discharged to shore “Invalided” on the 4th of December 1918. In June 1918 his 18 year old brother Frank enlisted in the AIF, Frank arrived in UK the week the Armistice was signed. On being discharged Leslie returned to Victoria where he trained as a French Polisher. In 1929 he married Mary Kathleen Bourke and the couple resided in South Yarra, Northcote and Reservoir East until Leslie’s death on the 15th of December 1962. Ordinary Seaman Leslie Baxter is buried in the Roman Catholic section of the Faulkner Park Cemetery, Section U Grave 14395.