J B Military Antiques
Lot 497
WW2 Australian Army medal group of 6 to Pte Tanner 2/16th Battalion A.I.F., who was ‘Killed in Action’ at Gona in 1942. 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal & Australian Service Medal. All impressed named WX5603 L.B.TANNER. 2/16th AIF enamel lapel badge; picture of Pte Tanner (Head); Palestinian Currency note postcard with Pte Tanners picture imprinted; Photograph of CWG grave stone. Unframed/sealed display board with medals and pictures well presented. Comes with copies of enlistment papers and war diary for Middle East and New Guinea. Private Leslie Bert Tanner was born in Katanning Western Australia on the 22nd June 1920. He enlisted on the 22nd June 1940 at Northam to the 2/16th Battalion. His occupation was “Shop assistant”. The battalion with Pte Tanner embarked for overseas at Fremantle on 25th October, and after a brief stop in India en-route, arrived in Egypt on 25th November. After disembarkation, the battalion moved straight to Palestine to complete its training. As part of the 21st Brigade of the 7th Australian Division, the 2/16th's first operational assignment of war was to bolster the defences along the Egypt-Libya frontier against an expected German attack. It occupied positions at Maaten Bagush and Mersa Matruh throughout much of April and May 1941, before returning to Palestine in preparation for its first offensive operation - the invasion of Syria and Lebanon. Private Tanner was wounded in action on the 7th July (Blast concussion). For the 2/16th Battalion the Syria and Lebabnon Campaign, beginning on June 8th, was characterised by difficult and costly actions against well-entrenched Vichy French troops. The 2/16th suffered the most casualties (264) of any of the Australian battalions involved. Its major battles were the crossing the Litani River on 9th June, the unsuccessful attempt to capture Sidon on 13th June, and the seizure of El Atiqa Ridge, as part of the battle of Damour on 6th July. The 2/16th remained in Lebabnon after the armistice of 12 July as part of the Allied garrison force. After sailing from Egypt on 30th January 1942, most of the 2/16th - over 350 members of the battalion had absented themselves without leave when their transport had called briefly at Fremantle - disembarked at Adelaide on 25th March 1942. Private Tanner was one of the 350 who went AWOL. The battalion's stay in Australia was brief. On 12th August it arrived at Port Moresby in Papua, and by 29th August was in action against the Japanese at Abuari on the Kokoda Trail. Forced to withdraw, the 2/16th fought a series of desperate actions back along the Trail. It suffered particularly heavily at Mission Ridge on 8th September when it had to fight its way out of a Japanese encirclement. The 2/16th's ordeal on the Trail ended with its relief at Imita Ridge on 16th September. By this time the battalion was so weak that it had been amalgamated with the 2/14th to form a composite battalion. After a short rest, the 2/16th, once again functioning as a separate battalion, joined the operations at Gona on 26th November. Consisting of only two companies when it entered the fighting, the 2/16th left Gona, on 7th January 1943, only 56 strong. Pte Tanner was killed in action on the 8th December at Gona Beach. The battle casualty report states “On the 8th December 1942, during the battle at Gona Beach he charged and enemy machine gun nest and was killed instantly by a burst of fire.” He was later buried at Port Moresby War Cemetery.
