On 28 August 1915 The West Australian reported “Those who were associated with the game five years ago will learn with regret that Second Lieut. L. J. C. Roskams has been killed in action at the Dardanelles. For several years the deceased assisted the Perth Club and as a half-back was a player of no mean ability. The sympathy of soccerities is extended to his brother, W. Roskams, who is also an ex-member of the same club.”
Leopold Roskams was born on 16 July 1886 and he arrived in Perth from England with his brother William in January 1905. They both represented Perth in the local competition for a numbers of seasons. By 1910 Leopold had moved to Kellerberrin (200km east of Perth) to become a stockman on his farm that he named ‘Utopia’.
He enlisted early in the war with the 10th Light Horse on the same day as his friend and former Perth team mate, George Leake, who also moved to the area to practise as a barrister. He quickly rose through the ranks from Corporal to 2nd Lieutenant.
On 7 August 1915 Roskams was killed in action at Walker’s Ridge, Gallipoli. He had just turned 29 years of age. His good friend George Leake was killed in action three weeks later. Leopold’s brother William represented Western Australia; he elected not to serve in the war and remained in Australia.