LESLIE PURDON

20th Infantry Battalion

1877 - 1917

PRIVATE LEs PURDON

Les Purdon grew up at Purdons Lane, O’Connell

His parents were Henry and Mary Ann Purdon

His wife was Annie Cristina Purdon

Les enlisted at Bathurst on 22 February 1916 at age 39

SERVICE

  • 13 December 1916—proceeded for France on Princess Henrietta

  • 22 August 1916 - Sailed on the Wiltshire

  • 13 October 1916 - Disembarked at Plymouth, England

  • 13 December 1916 - Sailed to France on

  • 17 December 1916—taken on strength of 20th Infantry Battalion

  • 18 March 2017— died of wounds—as a result of an accident when a grenade exploded prematurely due to a defect in the grenade.

No known resting place

Commemorated at Villers Bretonneux, France and O’Connell ANZAC Memorial Avenue

Listed on the Wall of Remembrance at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery Australian Memorial – at Villers-Bretonneux, France

CONTACT

mcwhite2795@gmail.com

Les Purdon was her great uncle

Report of the enquiry into rifle grenade accident in which Les Purdon was killed.