Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Michael and Mary Purcell; husband of Annabel Purcell, of St. Kilda, Victoria.

When Mr. Jack Edwards, Cootamundra carrier, was travelling towards Wallendbeen on Sunday morning he noticed the body of a soldier lying alongside the railway line near the approach to the overhead bridge, 7 miles out on the Wallendbeen road. Mr. Edwards rang the Cootamundra police from Wallendbeen. The soldier was subsequently idenfied as  Sgt. John Purcell, a returned soldier of the last war, and a soldier of this. He is believed to have fallen from a troop train on Saturday night. His wife lives a St. Kilda, Melbourne. Purcell's head had been terribly crushed, and he must have died instantly.
A coroner's inquiry will be held at Cootamundra.
The remains were laid to rest this morning in the Cootamundra war cemetery.

Sergeant John Purcell, M.M, Purcell, of 10 Mary Street, St. Kilda, has received word that her husband, Sergeant John Purcell, M.M. died as the result of an accident at Cootamundra, N.S.W., on January 21.  Sergeant Purcell, who was well known in Kyabram as a telephone mechanic, and was on the staff of the Kyabram post office when the late  Mr Holden was postmaster. Whilst at Kyabram he passed a clerk’s examination, and was transferred as a clerk to the engineers’ branch, Melbourne. Sergeant Purcell was only,  quite, young when he enlisted for the first Great War, in which he served for four years. He was a member of the 1st Machine Gun Company, and was awarded the Military Medal  for conspicuous service.  At the outbreak of the present war he again enlisted and joined the 9th Garrison Battalion, and was later posted to the 37th Australian Works Coy, with  which unit he proceeded to New Guinea, where he served for 12 months. He was on his way home to join his wife when the accident occurred which caused his death. He is  survived by his widow, Annabel and three sons, Ron (R.A.A.F.), Frank and Jeff.