LEO, James Wilfred
| Service Number: | S86501 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 October 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 5th (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) |
| Born: | Lancashire, England, 24 May 1917 |
| Home Town: | Gladstone, Northern Areas, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Adelaide Boys High School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Station Master South Australian Railways. |
| Died: | Natural causes , Adelaide, South Australia, 8 December 2004, aged 87 years |
| Cemetery: |
Smithfield Memorial Park, Evanston South, South Australia Scientific donations area at western end of cemetery |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 24 Oct 1940: | Involvement Private, S86501 | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Oct 1940: | Enlisted Gladstone, SA | |
| 24 Oct 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, S86501 | |
| 2 Apr 1945: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, S86501, 5th (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) |
James W Leo
This excerpt is taken from the "Autobiography of James W Leo" and helps explain his inclusion in the WW2 defence roll.
"War had broken out and my repeated applications to enlist with the fighting forces had been refused because I was in a protected industry.(South Australian Railways). My only alternative was to join the Voluntary Defence Corps where I was later credited with four years and 113 days of service, during the war. I also became involved in raising funds for the Fighting Forces Comforts Fund, in a vaudeville and revue company. We were fortunate in having as our directors, two professional people who had been with J.C. Williamson, at the Tivoliin Adelaide, who coached us in stage production."
Throughout the War James worked in the South Australian Railways who played a significant role in the transport of munitions, machines, supplies and personnel.
Submitted 17 March 2015 by Adrian Leo
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