Leo Stanley Daw was born in Ballarat and was a Printer by trade when he enlisted in the 8th Battalion, 21st Reinforcement on 25 July 1916 at the age of 21. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A71 Nestor on 2 October 1916. Upon arrival in England he was attached to the 2nd Training Battalion at Folkstone and remained there until early April 1917 when he joined the 8th Battalion in France. Little more than a month later he was admitted to hospital suffering from æpyrexia of unknown origin (PUO)'. He was evacuated to hospital at Edgbaston, England, and did not return to the battlefields of France. He returned to Australia on the Anchises, disembarking at Melbourne on January 3rd 1918. He was discharged on March 8th 1918 as æmedically unfit – myalgia'.
Tree No. 2486