Leslie Bryan was the son of Francis Claude Bryan and of Agnes Bryan (nee Johnstone), of Waitamo Caves, King Country, New Zealand.

Private Bryan died in the early stages of the first battle of Orsogna. Orsogna is a hilltop town whose position made it very difficult to capture. The Germans were in control of the town in November 1943 as the Allied forces moved up through Italy. Possession of the town would give the New Zealanders use of the Ortona road and was necessary if progress was to be made on that front. Initially General Montgomery thought that the Germans were retreating to Pescara and that the remaining tanks were left to fight a rearguard action, mainly aimed at destroying the roads. However it soon became apparent that no move to retreat was being made and that the opposite was in fact the case. AWMM