Soldier profiles

Name : BOURKE, LESLIE JOHN
Service Number : VX32915
Date of Birth : 05/10/1906
Place of Birth : COLLINGWOOD, VIC
Known as :
Occupation on Enlistment : DESIGNING AND CUTTER
Date of Enlistment : 24/06/1940
Locality on Enlistment : ABBOTSFORD, VIC
Place of Enlistment : ROYAL PARK, VIC
Next of Kin : BOURKE, CHRISTINA
Rank (at time of discharge / death) : PRIVATE
Service : ARMY
Final Posting : 2/2 PIONEER BATTALION
Position / Platoon / Company (as 2/2 Pioneer) (date / details) :
Unit Transfers / Promotions (date / details) :
Theatres of War : SYRIA, JAVA
Actions :
Wounded (date / details) :
Discharged : 23/01/1946
Date Died : ??/??/1979
Age at Death : 73?
Community Roll of Honour : N/A
Buried Location / Memorial (P.O.W., D.O.W., K.I.A.) : SPRINGVALE BOTANICAL CEMETERY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.
K.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
D.O.W. (date / details) : N/A
M.I.A. (date / details) : N/A
P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Died P.O.W. (date / details) : NO
P.O.W. Camps (details) : JAVA
Recovered P.O.W. (location/s) : JAVA
Honours and Gallantry : None for display
Applicable Australian War Memorial circulars : Australian War Memorial B-JAVA-0009 Missing & POW Circular
References found (entries & photos) : National Archives of Australia (Barcode 6221212 [DIGITISED], Barcode 1037367 [OPEN], Barcode 32340835 [OPEN]), WW2 Nominal Roll, Australian War Memorial

Background :

Service & personal summary At enlistment : married. No previous military experience At discharge : height 5 feet 7.5 inches, blue eyes, fair complexion, brown hair. Marital status : married. Dependent children : 1 16 years & older. Marks / scars : vaccination marks, scar right side of nose. Medical : deafness left ear. Full time war service : A.I.F. 24/06/1940 to 23/01/1946 which included 2040 days active service (108 days within Australia & 1645 days overseas). Operational service : Middle East and Java areas (embarked from Australia 07/04/1941, disembarked in Australia 07/10/1945). War badge no. 277496. Discharge certificate no. 485684.

Service record
24/06/1940 Taken on strength Recruit Reception Depot Royal Park, Victoria.
26/06/1940 Posted from Recruit Reception Depot to 2/2 Pioneer Battalion Puckapunyal, Seymour, Victoria.
08/07/1940 Admitted Puckapunyal 4 Australian General Hospital, Seymour, Victoria with influenza.
14/07/1940 Discharged to unit.
07/04/1941 Embarked Sydney, New South Wales on H.M.S. Queen Mary (H.M.T. N.N.).
03/05/1941 Disembarked Middle East.
23/05/1941 Next of kin - change of address.
31/01/1942 Embarked Middle East on S.S. Orcades.
18/02/1942 Disembarked Batavia, Java.
07/03/1942 Reported missing in action, Java.
30/04/1942 Reported missing in action, Java and transferred to X list.
01/10/1942 Reported missing in action believed prisoner of war.
28/07/1943 Reported prisoner of war, Java.
25/09/1945 Recovered from Japanese at Java.
25/09/1945 Granted proficiency pay.
26/09/1945 Emplaned Java.
26/09/1945 Deplaned Balikpapan, Borneo.
30/09/1945 Emplaned Balikpapan, Borneo.
30/09/1945 Deplaned Morotai.
30/09/1945 Marched in 9 Prisoner Of War Recovery Camp.
07/10/1945 Marched out for return to Australia.
07/10/1945 Emplaned Morotai for Australia.
12/10/1945 Marched in from General Details Depot, New South Wales.
16/11/1945 Admitted 115 Australian General Hospital, Heidelberg, Melbourne, Victoria with rodent ulcers, ?deficient vision.
15/01/1946 Discharged to General Details Depot.
18/01/1946 Marched out to Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot.
18/01/1946 Marched in Australian Military Forces Discharge Depot, Victoria ex Leave and Transit Depot, Victoria.
23/01/1946 Discharged.