SHAW, Leslie Raymond
| Service Numbers: | 4/33A, WX6471 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 September 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Recruit Reception Depot |
| Born: | Napier, New Zealand, 17 January 1901 |
| Home Town: | Perth, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Salesman |
| Died: | Perth, Western Australia, 3 March 1947, aged 46 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Karrakatta Cemetery & Crematorium, Western Australia ZP Grave site 0154 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Sep 1914: | Enlisted Other Commonwealth Forces, Private, 4/33A, Unspecified New Zealand Army Units | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 1917: | Discharged Other Commonwealth Forces, Private, 4/33A, Unspecified New Zealand Army Units, Discharged Underage whilst apart of NZ Engineers |
Non Warlike Service
| 2 Sep 1929: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Transferred from Reserves |
|---|
World War 2 Service
| 6 Oct 1939: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, RAAF Pearce | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Jul 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX6471, Recruit Reception Depot | |
| 1 Nov 1940: | Discharged Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Private, WX6471, Recruit Reception Depot | |
| Date unknown: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, RAAF Pearce |
Help us honour Leslie Raymond Shaw's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Zidane McNamara
Leslie Raymond Shaw was born on the 17th January 1901 in Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.
He enlisted into the N.Z.E.F on the 28th September 1914 (SN 4/33A) with the British Section, N.Z.E.F which consisted of men enlisting in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in England with Shaw being one of the 232 men in that particular section. He'd be transferred to the Engineers following his arrival into Egypt, and would land onto Gallipoli with them on April 25th, 1915. He'd later see action in France until just after the Third Ypres when he revealed his age, which led to his discharge on the 18th December, 1917. Even though he was discharged from the N.Z.E.F, he managed to join the R.A.F in May 1918, getting the rank of Temporary Second Lieutenant on October 14th, 1918 as an Observer in 62 Squadron. He stated he was born in 1900 to join the R.A.F, but in reality he was actually 17! He saw action over the Rhine throughout October 1918-June 1919 and was demobbed on January 5th, 1920. He managed to get a short service commission on September 15th, 1923 and was apart of 20(AC) Squadron on the Northwest Frontier in December 1924 to June 1926. He resigned his commission in July 1926. In 1927, he told the Evening post his ambitious plan to fly from England to Japan with Flight Lieutenant Edgar Allan Gornall (/explore/people/126489)
On February 15th, 1928 he was flying over New Guinea when he crashed. There were no flares to guide him in so he decided to land blindly in the dark which gave him serious injuries, leaving the plane badly broken. Into the mid to late 30s, he seems to have not had much employment to the point of ending up in court due to his acts.
He transferred from the R.A.A.F Reserves to Active Service on September 8th, 1929 and was promoted to Flying Officer on October 1st, 1935. He transferred to R.A.A.F H.Q Pearce on 8th September, 1939, a just under a week after war was declared only to get discharged from the R.A.A.F medically unfit on October 6th, 1939. He'd later enlist into the A.I.F into the Recruit Reception Depot for 3 months before being discharged. He died on March 9th, 1946 in Perth.
He is one of the youngest ANZACs and probably one of the only people who was at the Gallipoli Landings who was infact young enough to enlist into the Second Australian Imperial Force.
Click images to start slideshow.