Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

LES Brown was a revered World War II veteran whose published diaries offered a unique insight into the Japanese bombing of Darwin, the bombing of Hiroshima and life on the front.


Les’ love for the outdoors led him to join the Wolf Cubs (the junior scouts) at age eight, a pursuit he enjoyed into his adulthood.


It was also his love for outdoors and adventure that drew him to enlist with the Second Australian Imperial Force 1941, but only after his boss at Elder Smith & Co agreed to “sack” the young storeman to allow him to go off to war.


Joining the 27th Battalion (South Australian Scottish Regiment at Warradale), Les travelled to Darwin at just 20 years of age.


Then Japanese aircraft dropped bombs in two surprise raids on Darwin, killing up to 250 people, just two days before his 21st birthday.


“We saw the (Japanese) bombers coming over the harbour and, boy, they were fast and there was nothing to stop them,” Les wrote.


Following infantry service in Darwin and New Guinea, as a 25-year-old volunteer with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, Les spent time in Hiroshima just months after it had been levelled by the atomic bomb that all but ended World War II.
Les also served in the Middle East and, through his unwavering dedication to daily diary-writing – a habit instilled in him from his scouting days – the stories of his remarkable life and those he served with are now immortalised.


He was devoted to ensuring the legacy of those who served in the armed services lived on.


This dedication was seen through his regular attendance and participation in ANZAC Day services and other memorials including the Bangka Island memorial and the Repat Hospital remembrance services.

He considered it an honour to recite The Ode of Remembrance.


Among countless moments instilled in our histories, Les was in attendance in 1947 when Australian Army Nursing Service Captain Vivian Bullwinkel, the sole survivor of the Bangka Strait massacre of 21 nurses at Radji Beach, gave evidence regarding the slaughter of civilian children, wounded soldiers and nurses at the war tribunal.

This experience provided Les with a long-lasting personal connection to the South Australian Women’s Memorial Playing Fields Trust.


The trust oversees the Bangka Strait Memorial and the annual service to commemorate the nurses who lost their lives in Radji Beach, as well as all Australian women who served their country overseas in the armed forces. 

Les attended and participated in many of the Trust’s services across the years, and was a generous supporter of their work.


In 2017 he was made a life member of the trust, which is eternally grateful for his contributions across many decades.

Following his service in the armed forces and return to Australia, Les – ever the dedicated individual – resumed his role at Elder Smith & Co.


He also returned once-again to his passion of being a scout, travelling the world collecting and swapping badges with others.


Les always had a smile to give and a story to share from his incredible life experiences.


He proudly proclaimed himself a lifelong bachelor, stating it was one of the four keys to his longevity, along with abstaining from tobacco, alcohol and gambling.


Les, aged 100, died peacefully at 1am on Saturday February 19 at his home, the War Veteran’s Home Retirement Village in Myrtle Bank.

This was just two days short of his 101st birthday. February 19 was also the 80th year commemoration of the Japanese raid on Darwin.


We have lost one of our nation’s treasures and we thank him for his service.

Adelaide Advertiser Obituaries - 5th March 2022