Leslie Arthur Pearce

Forenames

Leslie Arthur AWMM

Surname

Pearce AWMM

Also known as

Les AWMM

Service number

• WWII 23737 AWMM
• Malaya 30070 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Religion

Presbyterian, Christian AWMM

Birth

22 Jan 1918 AWMM

Address before enlistment

• WW2 Pre 28 Jul 1938 AWMM 27 Rocklands Avenue, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
• WW2 7 Kensington Avenue, Balmoral, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

• WW2 Mr F. Pearce (father), 27 Rocklands Avenue, Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
• WW2 Mrs F. Pearce (wife), 7 Kensington Avenue, Balmoral, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

• Pre 27 Aug 1940 AWMM Single/WWII AWMM
• Married/WWII AWMM

War

• World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
• Malaya, 1960-1964 AWMM
• Vietnam War, 1961-1975 AWMM
• Regular Military Service AWMM

Campaign

• Greece AWMM
• North Africa AWMM
• Italy AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

• WWII 23737 AWMM
• Malaya 30070 AWMM

Military service

New Zealand Army 18 months AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) AWMM
• Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) (Military) AWMM
• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) (Military) AWMM
• Companion of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (CB) AWMM
• War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
• New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
• New Zealand Operational Service Medal AWMM
• Vietnam Medal AWMM

Enlistment

• WW2 28 Jul 1938 AWMM
  Age  19 AWMM
  Dairy hand/Civilian AWMM
• WW2 Dairy hand/Civilian 2NZEF Nom. Roll 14, p.77

Embarkation details

• WW2 Vessel was Empress of Japan AWMM Company Sergeant Major/Military 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.372 Headquarters, 24 (Auckland) Infantry Battalion 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.372 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
• WW2 Captain/Military 2NZEF Nom. Roll 14, p.77 Infantry Reinforcements 2NZEF Nom. Roll 14, p.77 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM
• Malaya Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM New Zealand Regiment, 1 Battalion, Headquarters AWMM British Commonwealth Far East Strategic Reserve AWMM
  3rd Embarkation AWMM
• Vietnam Brigadier/Military Ministry for Culture and Heritage Visitor Ministry for Culture and Heritage
  4th Embarkation AWMM

Medical notes

Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Various, but nothing serious Helwan, Kintara AWMM

Last rank

30 Sept 1973 AWMM
Retired AWMM
Major General/Military AWMM
26 Canterbury and Otago Infantry Battalion, Headquarters AWMM

Death

21 Dec 2002 Death Notice
Age  84 AWMM

Cemetery

North Shore Memorial Park and Crematorium (Schnapper Rock), Albany, North Shore City, New Zealand AWMM Northern Division RSA Burials Section 2 Block E Row E Plot 43 AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Vietnam War
  https://vietnamwar.govt.nz/veteran/brig-la-pearce
  Further Reference
• A greeting from Les Pearce recorded in 1940 can be found on Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision's online catalogue. U-series. Troop requests Pt 3 11393.
  https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/11393
  Further Reference
• Johnston, Sarah. (2023). “With the boys overseas: How Homefront listeners shaped the work of Aotearoa New Zealand's first battlefront broadcasters”. New Zealand Journal of Public History, 9, 33-58.
  https://phanza.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Sarah-Johnston-With-the-Boys-Overseas.pdf
  Further Reference

References

• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 3: WW2 372
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 14 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1944 to 31st December, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 14: WW2 77
• New Zealand, World War II Appointments, Promotions, Transfers and Resignations, 1939–1945. [Extracted from the New Zealand Gazette.] CD-ROM. Ravensbourne, Dunedin, New Zealand: Colonial CD Books, n.d.
• Information kindly provided by family
• 24 N.Z. Infantry Battalion Association [newsletter]. Auckland, N.Z.: The Association.
  24th N.Z. Infantry Battalion Association newsletter. March 2003, Issue 137.
• This record was created from data kindly provided by the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
• 1NZR Roll 1961-1963 - Bill Russell, Malayan Veterans Association Scrapbook – 40th Anniversary edition.
• DECEASED, 1 NZ Regiment, 1961-63 – Internet resource.
• Norton, F. (1952). 26 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Subritsky, M. (Ed). (1995). The Vietnam scrapbook: The second ANZAC adventure. Papakura, N.Z.: Three Feathers Publishing Co.
• Hall, C. (2014). No front line : inside stories of New Zealand's Vietnam War. Auckland, New Zealand : Penguin Books.
• This record was partially created from Cemetery research completed by Carol Foster (2021).
• Fry, P., & New Zealand. Army. Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Battalion, 1st. (1983). The First Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment : Journal / [P.J. Fry, editor] (25th anniversary commemorative ed.). Singapore: The Regiment.
• FARELF Nominal Roll Part 1 1958-1961 - Archives New Zealand, Wellington, CAJN CH189/Box70 41/4/11 (R21234083)
• Cenotaph record initially prepared with the service person.
• McGibbon, I.C. (2010). New Zealand's Vietnam War: a history of combat, commitment and controversy. Auckland, N.Z.: Exisle
• Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• 24 N.Z. Infantry Battalion Association [newsletter]. Auckland, N.Z.: The Association.
• Fortune, G. & Bebich, M. (2008). Citizenship and remembrance : a history of the 24 NZ Infantry Battalion Association. Auckland, N.Z.: Polygraphia.