30-JULY-1943 Serving as a Stretcher Bearer in the 2/5th Infantry Battalion Second Australian Imperial Force, Cpl Leslie "Bull" Allen would participate in the Battle of Mount Tambu, and assist forces of the 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regiment, US Army. With casualties rising, and both US medics killed, Bull Allen would voluntarily walk into the battlespace and recover between ten and seventeen wounded American soldiers. He would carry them one after another on his back, only stopping when he physically couldn't continue, and for his actions, he would receive the United States Silver Star, the third-highest medal for bravery, and the highest that could be awarded to a non-US citizen. When asked of his gallant deeds during the Second World War, this Gentle Giant would simply say. "I was only doing my job."
Service record
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 1940 | Enlisted | Private, VX12513, 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion |
| 19 Apr 1940 | Enlisted | Australian Military Forces (WW2), Private, VX12513 |
| 15 Sep 1940 | Embarked | Private, VX12513, Disembarked in Palestine 1 December 1940 |
| 4 Aug 1942 | Involvement | Private, 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion, Returned from the Syrian Campaign for retraining and mobilisation to PNG |
| 14 Apr 1943 | Promoted | Corporal |
| 10 May 1944 | Involvement | Private, Rank reduced to Private as a result of striking an Officer |
| 10 Sep 1944 | Discharged | Private, VX12513, 2nd/5th Infantry Battalion |
| 10 Sep 1944 | Discharged | Australian Military Forces (WW2), Private, VX12513 |
Honours and awards
- Military Medal
- United States Silver Star
Memorials
- The song "The Ballad Of Bull" by Swedish power metal band Sabaton
- Victorian Garden of Remembrance
Episode
Sources
- https://kokodahistorical.com.au/diggers-stories/leslie-c-bull-allen-mm-uss
- https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/stories/biographies/leslie-charles-clarence-allen
- http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/allen-leslie-charles-clarence-12130
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1509202
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1574830
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1574831?image=1
- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1509201
- https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=6215088
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/248479752/leslie-clarence-allen
- https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/leslie-bull-allen.html
- https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5c12f0777f7fcf2ee0d82409
- https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/205644443/leslie-charles-allen
- https://5rar.asn.au/cpl-leslie-bull-allen/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x6cciZOG9M
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/206357728
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68909260
- https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/76159077
- https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=425139&c=WW2
Cite this entry
Ross Manuel, 'Allen, Leslie Clarence (Bull) (1916–1982)', I Was Only Doing My Job: Nominal Roll, DocNetwork Productions, https://thedocnetwork.net/nominal-roll/allen-leslie, published online 2026, accessed online 3 November 2026.