Leslie George Schmidt was born in Elmhurst, Victoria, was married to Nellie Ann Schmidt of Simon Street, Wendouree, Ballarat and was a Farmer when he enlisted in the 14th Battalion, B Company on 25 September 1914 at the age of 19. His unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A38 Ulysses on 22 December 1914. On 7 August 1915 he proceeded to join the M.E.F. at D'nelles. On the 17th of August he was admitted to hospital suffering from neurasthenia*. On 1 June 1916 he proceeded to join the British Expeditionary Force from Alexandria, disembarking at M'seilles. On 24 February 1917 he was hospitalised for a severe synovitis and abscess of the right knee joint. He returned to Australia aboard the Prince George on 12 October 1918.
Tree No. 292

• neurasthenia as a psychopathological term was used by Beard in 1869 to denote a condition with symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, headache, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, neuralgia and depressed mood.