Leslie Cecil Lloyd Averill (25 March 1897 – 4 June 1981) was a New Zealand soldier who served during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

on the Western Front. After the war, he became a doctor and established a private practice in his hometown of

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

. He also served as a medical administrator and community leader.

Early life

Leslie Averill was born on 25 March 1897 at

in New Zealand to a local

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

and his wife. His father,

Alfred Averill Alfred Walter Averill (7 October 18656 July 1957) was the second Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand, from 1925 to 1940. He was also the fifth Anglican Bishop of Auckland whose episcopate spanned a 25-year period during the first half of the 20 ...

, would later serve as

Archbishop of New Zealand Primate of New Zealand is a title held by a bishop who leads the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Since 2006, the Senior Bishop of each '' tikanga'' ( Māori, Pākehā, Pasefika) serves automatically as one of three co-eq ...

from 1925 to 1940. Educated at Christ's College, he was an excellent student and was head prefect in 1915. The following year, he began studying medicine at

Auckland University , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

. However, in 1916 when a good friend, Paul Clark volunteered to fight in World War I with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), he decided to join as well.

Military career

George Edmund Butler -The scaling of the walls of Le Quesnoy

Averill was commissioned as a second lieutenant after training at Trentham Military Camp. Arriving in France in May 1918, he was posted to the 4th Battalion of the

New Zealand Rifle Brigade The New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own), affectionately known as The Dinks, was formed on 1 May 1915 as the third brigade of the New Zealand Division, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. During the First World War it foug ...

. He fought in the

Second Battle of Bapaume The Second Battle of Bapaume was a battle of the First World War that took place at Bapaume in France, from 21 August 1918 to 3 September 1918. It was a continuation of the Battle of Albert and is also referred to as the second phase of that ba ...

in August, leading a company of the battalion and was awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC ...

for his gallantry and leadership during the battle. Afterwards, he was posted to the Divisional Traffic Control Branch. In November 1918, the Rifle Brigade was tasked with the capture of the fortified town of Le Quesnoy. The town was surrounded by extensive ramparts which made a direct assault difficult, particularly as the town itself could not be bombarded due to the civilians present. On 4 November 1918, Averill, now the battalion's intelligence officer, scouted the defences and was able to locate an approach route that was not under fire from the German defenders. A platoon brought up a 30-foot ladder which Averill was able to ascend to reach the top of the ramparts. Seeing off two Germans manning a guard post with revolver fire, the rest of the platoon, and shortly thereafter the battalion, joined him and entered the town. The Germans quickly surrendered Le Quesnoy. The war ended the following week and from December, Averill performed occupation duty in Germany for the next several months.

Later life

Granted an NZEF scholarship in October 1919, Averill studied medicine at the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

. He graduated as a medical doctor in 1924, submitting a thesis on the detection and treatment of

placenta praevia Placenta praevia is when the placenta attaches inside the uterus but in a position near or over the cervical opening. Symptoms include vaginal bleeding in the second half of pregnancy. The bleeding is bright red and tends not to be associated ...

for his degree. He was elected a Fellow of the

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located o ...

the following year. He returned to New Zealand in 1925 and married Isabella Mary Wilkie Roberton in Auckland. His new wife had also qualified as a medical practitioner, but did not work after their marriage. The couple would go on to have five children. Averill began a general practice in Christchurch in 1926 but would also be heavily involved in regional and national medical services and administration. He helped set up a private hospital that opened in

Papanui Papanui is a major suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand. It is situated five kilometers to the northwest of the city centre. Papanui is a middle socio-economic area with a population of 3,645 consisting predominantly of Pākehā (NZ Eur ...

in 1928 and would remain associated with the hospital for over 40 years. He was also employed at St Helens Hospital as medical superintendent from 1929 until 1962. The North Canterbury Hospital Board, Christchurch Blood Transfusion Service and Hospital Boards' Association of New Zealand all benefited from his leadership. In 1961, he was recognised for his significant services in medicine in the

New Year Honours The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, with New Year's Day, 1 January, being marked by naming new members of orders of chivalry and recipients of other official honours. A number of other Commonwealth realms also mark this ...

with appointment as a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. His contributions were not limited to medicine; he was on the board of governors of Christchurch College for nearly 20 years, served as a president of the Old Boy's Associate of his former high school, and was a member of Christchurch's Rotary Club. Averill retired from general practice in 1967. Even in retirement, he continued a long association with the

ChristChurch Cathedral ChristChurch Cathedral, also called Christ Church Cathedral and (rarely) Cathedral Church of Christ, is a deconsecrated Anglican cathedral in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand. It was built between 1864 and 1904 in the centre of the city ...

, having served as a lay canon since 1943. He died on 4 June 1981, survived by his wife and four children.

Legacy

Throughout his postwar life, Averill maintained strong links with Le Quesnoy. He returned to the town in 1923 to unveil the New Zealand War Memorial there with Marshal

Joseph Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regroupi ...

and Sir James Allen, New Zealand's High commissioner to London. The township appointed Averill a ''citoyen d'honneur'' (honorary citizen) on the 50th anniversary of the relief of Le Quesnoy in 1968, and five years later in 1973 he was appointed a Chevalier of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

by the French President. In a later visit, a new school and street were named in his honour.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Averill, Leslie Cecil Lloyd 1897 births 1981 deaths New Zealand general practitioners New Zealand military personnel of World War I Knights of the Legion of Honour New Zealand recipients of the Legion of Honour Alumni of the University of Edinburgh New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George New Zealand recipients of the Military Cross Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons People from Christchurch New Zealand medical administrators