Healy, Arthur Leslie (Corporal, b.1896 - d.1915)

Collection relating to the First World War service of 868 Corporal Arthur Leslie 'Les' Healy 21st Battalion AIF, 1915.
The collection consists of letters written by Corporal Healy to his mother and well as the Memorial Scroll issued to Corporal Healy.

The first letter is written from Broadmeadows camp on 28 April 1915; the next from the transport ship Ulysses anchored off Queenscliff, and several more letters from the voyage to Egypt. Healy arives in Heliopolis camp near Cairo and writes that he is 'having the time of my life'.

The letters continue from Egypt throughout June, July and August. Healy describes visiting the pyramids; learning to build trenches; the 'hard sell' that locals employ on the soldiers. Healy learns semaphore and Morse code, and also guards Turkish and German prisoners at a Red Crescent Hospital. Having met wounded men from the Gallipoli campaign, Healy is increasingly keen to get to the front and do his bit. The last letter to his family is dated 1 September en route to Gallipoli, and is written at sea on board the Southland 'don't be anxious I will be alright'.

The last letter in the collection is written by Mrs Elizabeth Healy to her son. It is dated 6 September 1915, four days after he was killed. She has not yet received this news.
The collection also includes Arthur Healy's last will and testament dated 7 May 1915, and a letter of condolence from the Shire of Preston to the Healy family dated 12th October 1915.


One of eleven children, Private Healy enlisted on 5 January 1915 aged 19. A painter from Melbourne, Healy embarked for active service on HMAT Ulysses on 8 May 1915.
After a training spell in Egypt he sailed for Gallipoli on HMT Southland. HMT Southland was a transport ship conveying men of 2nd Division AIF from Egypt to Gallipoli. Her contingent included the 21st Battalion; B Coy of the 23rd; the 6th Field Artillery Bde; members of the 2nd Division Signal Coy; as well as 6th Brigade and 2nd Div Headquarters staff; a NZ Artillery unit and various other sundry details.
The convoy followed a zigzag course, the ‘torpedo guard’ on each ship keeping their eyes peeled for submarines. Just 30 miles from Lemnos, the Nile, carrying the 24th Battalion and well ahead, spotted a submarine and managed to outrun it, the Scotian with the 22nd Battalion on board also managed to dodge it, but the first the Southland knew of her predicament was the approaching torpedo. The torpedo, fired by German submarine UB14 struck No. 2 hold, just in front of the bridge when the ship was 65 kilometres from Lemnos in the Aegean Sea.
At least nine men were killed in the initial explosion, and although the 23rd Battalion took the brunt of it, a few 21st men suffered too. Corporal Healy's body was later recovered from the hold and buried at Lemnos with six 23rd Battalion men. His death was attributed directly due to the explosion. He is buried at East Mudros Cemetery and his small headstone reads 'For Ever With The Lord'.
There were 1400 men on board the Southland and the number of men believed killed is between 40 and 42. The ship did not sink and all survivors took to lifeboats and were picked up by other transports.