PAYNE, Leo J
| Service Number: | WX2073 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 April 1940, Northam, Western Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/32nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mingenew, Western Australia, 1 June 1911 |
| Home Town: | Mingenew, Mingenew, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Libya, 4 August 1941, aged 30 years |
| Cemetery: |
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Libya Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma, Darnah province, Libya |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 24 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Private, WX2073, Northam, Western Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Lieutenant, WX2073, 2nd/32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 20 Jun 1941: | Promoted Lieutenant, 2nd/32nd Infantry Battalion | |
| 4 Aug 1941: | Involvement Lieutenant, WX2073, 2nd/32nd Infantry Battalion, Libya/North Africa |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Edwards
"Killed 6 Weeks After Promotion
Twenty-nine-year-old Lieutenant Leo J. Payne, who went away with the A.I.F. as a private, was killed in action in Syria only six weeks after he received his commission. He was killed on August 4, 15 months after leaving Australia. First man to enlist in Mingenew, he left Australia early in 1940 and went to England, where he was made a non-commissioned officer. He was a sergeant when transferred to the Middle East. Lieut. Payne was the sixth son of the late Mr. T. Payne and Mrs. Payne of Mingenew. Four of his brothers are serving overseas in the A.I.F. He was a miner at Big Bell and was well-known in that district under the nickname "Tiger". He played a lot of football with country teams." - from the Perth Daily News 05 Jan 1942 (nla.gov.au)
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