Temporary Sergeant Stafford Kenny James “Len” Lenoy who was killed in action during the Battle of Kapyong.
Stafford Lenoy was born on the 21st of October 1923 in Cairns, Queensland, to... Octavius “Ockie” and Janine “Janie” Lenoy. He was the middle child in a large family.
After spending his formative years in the town of Ayr, Lenoy, his parents, and his siblings were removed by authorities to Palm Island. During cane seasons, Lenoy returned to Ayr to work as a cutter.
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Lenoy, aged 18, was called up for service in the Militia in March 1943. Four days later he volunteered for service with the Australian Imperial Force. He did his basic and specialist training with the 2nd Australian Machine Gun Training Battalion at Tenterfield, New South Wales. He spent much of the next year in various training schools, and in May he was posted to the 2/3rd Machine Gun Battalion in the Atherton Tablelands. The battalion deployed to New Guinea in December and took part in the Aitape–Wewak campaign. After the war Lenoy transferred to the newly raised 67th Battalion at Morotai for occupation duties in Japan.
By the end of 1948 the battalion had become the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment. Lenoy remained with 3RAR and joined the Australian Regular Army Special Reserve in March 1950. He was soon promoted to lance corporal.
The Korean War began on the 25th of June 1950. Lenoy, now a member of 3RAR’s medium machine-gun platoon, was promoted to temporary corporal in mid-September and deployed with 3RAR to Korea at the end of the month. It took part in the mobile campaign into North Korea, but with the intervention of the Chinese in late October the UN troops were forced to withdraw. By December 3RAR was in positions just north of Seoul.
Following further withdrawals in January 1951, UN troops advanced again in March. Just prior to Anzac Day, 3RAR was in reserve and preparing to host their British, New Zealand and Turkish comrades. On the morning of the 23rd of April the Chinese launched a new offensive towards Seoul, and 3RAR, along with the 27th Brigade, was deployed north of Kapyong to stop them.
Lenoy, now a temporary sergeant, was attached to A Company in the forward most defensive positions. The Chinese began their attacks on the company in the late afternoon, and despite heavy casualties maintained their pressure on the Australians throughout the night. It was during an attack in the early hours of the 24th of April that Stafford Lenoy was killed.
After an intense battle, the Chinese division broke off its attack on Anzac Day. For 3RAR the cost was high, with 32 men killed, 59 wounded, and three taken prisoner.
Lenoy was initially buried near Kapyong, but was later reinterred at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery at Pusan. He was 27 years old.
Images and text courtesy of the Australian War Memorial
(Colourised by Benjamin Thomas from Australia)
