Leonard Maurice Keysor VC (3 November 1885 – 12 October 1951)
British-born Keysor had only been in Australia for about three months when the First World War broke out. He enlisted in the AIF on 18 August 1914 as a private and was assigned to the 1st battalion, which was forming at Randwick.[ On 18 October 1914 he embarked for overseas service among the first contingent. Initially he served in Egypt where the Australians were involved in the defence of the Suez Canal against the Turks, but on 25 April 1915, he landed at Gallipoli where he took part in the subsequent fighting on the peninsula. On 20 June 1915 he was promoted to LCPL, before taking part in the Battle of Lone Pine in August.
It was during the course of this battle that Keysor performed the actions that led to him receiving the Victoria Cross. Early in the morning on 6 August 1915 the 1st Battalion carried out a diversionary attack at Lone Pine and after heavy fighting that lasted almost the entire day they managed to capture the Turkish trenches. After this more fighting would continue around the position for the next three days as the Turks attempted to regain the position. The fighting was carried out at close range, using bayonets and improvised grenades and bombs. Over the course of about 50 hours on 7–8 August, Keysor continually risked his life to pick up the Turkish grenades as they were thrown into the trenches and throw them back. Later, despite being wounded and ordered to seek medical attention, Keysor continued to remain in the line, volunteering to throw bombs for another company.
After the battle was over Keysor was evacuated from Gallipoli suffering enteric fever. He eventually rejoined the 1st Battalion after they had been transferred to France in early 1916. In March 1916 Keysor took part in the battle of Pozieres. In November 1916 he was transferred to the 42nd Battalion and promoted to the rank of SGT on 1 December. On 13 January 1917 he was commissioned and promoted to the rank of 2Lt. Six months later he was promoted to Lt. On 28 March 1918 Keysor was wounded and was evacuated from the line before returning to take part in the fighting at Villiers Bretonneux, where he was gassed on 26 May 1918.
In October 1918 when manpower levels in the AIF reached critical level, Keysor returned to Australia to head up a recruiting campaign. He was discharged from the army on medical grounds on 12 December 1918.
Following the end of the war, Keysor resided in Sydney from 1918 until February 1919 during which time he worked as a clerk when he returned to England. On 8 July 1920 he married Gladys Benjamin. After this he went into the family business importing clocks.
In 1927 Keysor re-enacted his exploits at Gallipoli in the film For Valour, during which he was injured. He remained on the Australian Military Forces list of inactive reserve officers, however, in 1939 when the Second World War began Keysor attempted to rejoin the military, but was rejected on medical grounds.
He died of cancer on 12 October 1951. In 1977 Keysor's Victoria Cross was purchased by the RSL. It is now displayed at the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra.