Leonard Keysor

Leonard Keysor
Lieutenant Leonard Keysor c. 1917
Born	3 November 1885 Maida Vale, London, England
Died	12 October 1951(1951-10-12) (aged 65) Paddington, London, England[1]
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1914–18
Rank	Lieutenant
Unit	1st Battalion 42nd Battalion
Battles / wars	First World War Gallipoli Campaign Battle of Lone Pine Western Front Battle of the Somme Battle of Pozières Second Battle of Villers-Bretonneux
Awards	Victoria Cross

Leonard Maurice Keysor, VC (also known as "Keyzor" or "Kyezor") (3 November 1885 – 12 October 1951) was a British-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Born in England, Keysor emigrated to Australia shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. He enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force in August 1914 and served in Egypt before landing at Gallipoli, Turkey at the beginning of the campaign. On 7 August 1915 at Lone Pine, while serving as an acting lance-corporal, 29-year-old Keysor performed an act of bravery for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross. Later in the war he took part in the fighting in France, serving in the trenches along the Western Front. He would later achieve the rank of lieutenant before being discharged from the army on medical grounds at the end of the war.

Keysor remained in Australia until early 1919 working as a clerk in Sydney, New South Wales before returning to England where he began a career in business. On the outbreak of the Second World War he attempted to rejoin the military but was deemed medically unfit and was rejected. He died in 1951 suffering from cancer.