Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Les was the eldest of nine children of Edward (Ted) Albert Otway (b1900 in Beverley WA) and Florence Pettit (b1898 in York WA). Ted was a Farm Hand when he enlisted in WWI (Private; Service No:52092) and served in Suez and France. He and Florence married in 1922 in Beverley WA and lived in Doodananning, York WA where Ted was a Farmer before moving to Burracoppin near Northam WA where he was a Farm Manager. In the early 1930s the family moved to Tammin in Mullewa WA where Ted worked as a Labourer before relocating to Mt Helena near Northam WA by 1940, where Ted was a PMG Linesman. Ted then served in WWII (Private, Signaller; Service Nos:WX39271/W26485) and remained in the Army. Ted and Florence separated, with Florence living in Mt Helena, Perth and Geraldton WA. By 1963 Ted was working as a Labourer on Babbage Island, Carnarvon WA and in 1980 he was on Barrow Island in the Pilbara WA.

Les was a Labourer in Geraldton WA when he enlisted in the ACMF in 1941. He served as a Private, Gunner (Service No:W7879) with 11 Battalion and was attached to 5 AA Battery in July 1942 when he Discharged to enlist in the AIF. Les served on Rottnest Island (22 August 1942 - 16 December 1942 and 20 January 1943 - 28 April 1943) and in Darwin (13 June 1944 - 9 December 1944). He was a Sapper (Service No:WX30350) attached to 69 Mobile Ack Ack Searchlight Battery when he was Discharged in March 1946.
In 1946 Les married Grace Isobel Frances Dee (b1925 in Essex, England) - Grace arrived in Fremantle WA with her parents in 1926 on board the Ormuz. The couple lived in Mt Helena, Northam WA where Les was a Labourer before moving to Babbage Island, Carnarvon WA where Les was a Cook's Assistant and Grace a Cook. Les died in 1983 and Grace died in Collie WA in 2018