Timaru Herald, 4 June 1914 TEMUKA TERRITORIALS: ANNUAL SHOOTING MATCH: The Temuka Territorials fired their annual shooting match on the range, Temuka, yesterday. Line distances were 200 and 500 yards and the conditions 7 shots at each range. Captain Henderson, musketry instructor for the district was present, and considered the shooting on the whole very good. At 200 yards the conditions were favourable to good markmanship, but later, when firing at 500 yards, a heavy squall came up, with the result that the most reliable scores met with very poor success, and the scoring dropped considerably all round.
Captain Henderson was delighted, he said, with the liberality c-f the Temuka people, who had presented trophies with a generosity unsurpassed in any part of the Dominion. So numerous were the trophies that every competitor qualified for a prize. He knew of no other town, where this had been possible. He was very pleased with the enthusiasm shown by the Territorials and expressed regret that more information did not reach the cities about the- good work done in the country. The following are the scores:— Sergeant-Major. Husband 58; Sergeant-Major Smeal 58; Lieutenant Purdom 56; Private A. Cartwright 55; Corporal Burborough 54; Private Frisby 54; Private Hearn 53; Private Tait 53; Private Cairn 53; and a credible score - Private Trumper 52. War broke out August 1914 saw a great surge of patriotic enthusiasm, and immediately New Zealand was well-positioned to contribute a force of trained troops to aid Britain when war. Serving territorials like Leslie became willing volunteers swarming into Defence Department offices across the country to secure their place in the NZEF. The first 8500-strong group – the ‘Main Body’ and First Reinforcements left New Zealand in October 1914

"Temuka Leader" announced "The auxiliary contingent left 12 December 1914 by the second express with entrants from Winchester - D. Ferguson; S. Cliff, and W. McClelland; from Milford, Maze and Private Trumper; Serial No. 6/1741, Unit - Canterbury Infantry Battalion.

World War I

Lesley arrives home on 6 Jan 1916 to New Zealand after a year away but remains in Auckland. "25 CANTERBURY MEN (names were published) are suspected of being "carriers" of enteric - Lesley is among them. Solders were dispatched immediately off the Troop ship "Maheno" to the isolation camp attached to the Auckland Hospital. (Typhoid_fever (commonly called "Trench Fever" spread by ingestion of faecally contaminated food or water - poor hygiene and lack of sanitation caused many deaths and much debility during the war period.) The homecoming of the Maheno from Gallipoli was painted by Walter Armiger Bowring in 1916.

Four months later Lesley is discharged and his family is able to welcome home a frail and wasted shadow of the fit and able man they had farewelled.

Timaru Herald, 25 June 1917: MILFORD. There was a very large-attendance at the Milford School on Friday evening, to welcome home returned soldiers Messrs' G. Aepinal, J. Horgan, L. Trumper and A. Gason. After dancing had been indulged in for some time, a concert party from Geraldine, under the leadership of Mr McGregor, arrived, and gave a few enjoyable items, that were much enjoyed during a break in the proceedings. Mr Robert Macaulayf on behalf of the Patriotic Committee and the Milford residents welcomed the returned troopers and presented each with the committee's medal of honour. Mr John Kennedy, of Geraldine and Mr T. Giinhion also spoke, and Mr J. Horgan suitably replied.