Local diggers on website

Private Leslie Young, 20, of Pretty Beach, had a year of senior cadet's training under his belt but nothing could have prepared him for being deployed to Gallipoli in 1914.

The life of the sandy-haired digger, as well as the lives of other Anzacs, is now easily accessible through a new website that is giving locals greater access to army personnel records of the diggers from their community that served in World War I.

Powered by the National Archives, Mapping Our Anzacs allows users to search for diggers who were born or enlisted in their local area.

The site allows users to explore their community on a map and add a whole new dimension to "the Anzac Legend", according to the Member for Robertson Ms Deb O'Neill.

"The entries include newspaper death notices, and photographs of medals and plaques, as well as family pictures of and stories about those who served," said Ms O'Neill.

"Now they can just dive in and start exploring and they'll find connections between people and places."

According to the archives, Pvte Young spent most of his time in the trenches in France and was twice reprimanded for sneaking away from camp.

Twice his mother was sent news of his severe illness but each time he managed to pull through.

A letter sent to the AIF by a Miss Nellie Burnhay of Mosman requested his whereabouts as she had not heard from him in some months and was concerned.

Young meanwhile had been discharged some months earlier and was back in Australia.

With Pvte Young and the 18 other boys who enlisted for in this area was Corporal Charles Swanson of Woy Woy, a 25 year old railway officer, who left his wife Dorothy behind to head to Gallipoli in 1914.

A member of the Fourth Battalion, First AIF, he was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1915 while serving in Gallipoli and to Corporal while in England in 1916.

Despite being discharged because of a tumour in 1918, he was mentioned for valuable services during the war and was temporary warrant officer class one.

"These bits and pieces all have special meaning for the people who put them there and they value the opportunity of sharing them with others who are interested" Ms O'Neill stated

Local diggers included Charles Alderton, Stanley Chapman, Harry Davis, Henry Davis, Kenneth Davis, Thomas Davis, William Hartley Green, John Alexander Mayo, William Burns Mayo, George Henry Pendleton, Herbert Reckless, Robert Settree, Philip Squires, Harold Thomas, James Bogan, James Singleton, Charles Swanson, Leslie Young and Frederick Warmoll.

Media Release, April 17 Matt Pulford , Office of Deborah O'Neill MP http://mappingouranzacs.naa.gov.au