State Library of New South Wales
From the collections of the State Library of New South Wales
Captain Hore's scenes of Gallipoli
Leslie Fraser Standish 'George' Hore was born in Murree, India in 1870. He was educated in England and worked as a solicitor and barrister in London and then Hobart, Tasmania before joining the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) in 1914. Captain Hore departed Australia on 25 February 1915, serving with the 4th reinforcements, 8th Australian Light Horse Regiment. He joined the Regiment at Gallipoli on 26 May and was wounded at the Battle of the Nek on 7 August. While he was at Gallipoli, Hore sketched the men, the animals, the trenches and the terrain, documenting life at Anzac between June and December 1915.
The left front of main portion from 1/2 way up Walker's Ridge, 1915 (1915) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Gunboat shelling Turks inland, June 1915, ... from top of Walker's Ridge (1915-06) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Gunboat shelling Turks inland, seen from top of Walkers Ridge, June 1915
A breather on Walker's Ridge ... June 1915 (1915-06) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
The road up to Walker's Ridge ... (1915-1918) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
The road up to Walkers Ride - the foreground to North Beach in the early days - afterwards covered with tents, hospitals..
'Stand to arms 0300
Walkers Ridge. 1 June 1915
In the back wall of the trench are the boots of a dead New Zealander killed probably the day after the landing. The trench was turned to avoid him.'
Tea on the Terrace, 1915 (1915-06) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
'On Walkers Ridge, July 1915
When trenching they came across a dead New Zealander ... see his boots'
`The Crescent and the Cross' July 1915 (1915-07) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Hore was wounded at the Battle of the Nek on 7 August. Writing to his mother from the hospital ship he described the decimation of the 8th Light Horse: 'Truly we have been through the valley of the shadow of death as our Regiment has been cut to pieces and all our officers killed or wounded except two, out of eighteen officers present twelve were killed and four wounded... Our Colonel was killed, one Major killed the other wounded, the only Captain (myself) wounded and ten subalterns killed and three wounded leaving two officers not hit, killed or wounded, and about five percent of the men. And so perished the 8th Light Horse'. [LSF Hore, letter, in Cameron Simpson, Maygar's Boys: A biographical history of the 8th Light Horse Regiment AIF 1914-19, p.281].
At the Nek, Hore received a bullet wound through the bone of his right foot and another through his right shoulder: 'the latter only an inconvenience and the former a clean hole which ought to heal in about six weeks.' He rejoined his unit on 28 September.
Bathing party, Gallipoli, Oct 1915 (1915-10) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Early morning Gallipoli, Oct 1915 ... (1915-10) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
'Early morning Gallipoli, old No. 3 outpost captured from Turks by Maories [sic] Aug 6/7 night.'
'Tunnel connecting 2 positions', 'mine sweepers', 'Suvla Bay'
Carved in the clay bank colour of same grey brown ... sand in it.
Mule Gully, Nov 1915 (1915-11) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
The Bacchant tolls the knell of parting day, Nov 1915 (1915-11) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Frostbite, Dec 1915 (1915-12) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Fame! - Grave of unknown comrade, 14 Dec 1915 (1915-12) by Leslie HoreState Library of New South Wales
Hore's war service
Preferring to fight in France rather than stay with the Light Horse regiments in the Middle East, Hore accepted an offer as Brigade Machine Gun Officer of the 6th Infantry Brigade. In March 1916 he travelled with the Brigade to France. 'His knowledge of machine guns was summed up in three letters-nil, and at the time of his transfer he did not know a soul or a soldier in the brigade. But by the time the command of the 6th M.G. Coy. became vacant at Fleurbaix, it was obvious that Hore was the man to make individuals into a unit.' So said Major-General Sir John Gellibrand, who was quoted in Hore's obituary, Reveille, November 1935. Hore was promoted to Major at Pozieres in France and then to Lieutenant Colonel. On 18 June 1916, he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for conspicuous gallantry at Pozieres. He continued to draw and his sketches of the Western Front are also in the State Library's collection. On 7 November 1917, Hore was mentioned in dispatches by Sir Douglas Haig. In February 1919, Lieutenant Colonel Hore left England for Australia in the troopship, Orca.
