Samuel Manwaring Leece was born in Ballarat and was a Miner and Coachbuilder by trade when he enlisted in the No 1 Mining Corps on 28 October 1915 at the age of 38. His unit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board HMAT A38 Ulysses on 20 February 1916. In May he disembarked at Marseilles and travelled by train to the battle zone. In August he twice received treatment for laryngitis which was to trouble him throughout his service. In December 1916 he was attached to the 2nd Australian Tunnelling Company with whom he then served through the war. On March 15th 1918 he was gassed and after treatment in France he was transferred to the 5th Southern General Hospital at Portsmouth, England. It was then determined that he should return to Australia and he returned home on the Medic, disembarking at Melbourne on October 11th 1918. In March 1919 he was discharged as æmedically unfit – chronic laryngitis'.
Tree No 2650