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Cenotaph record

Leslie Ralph Balsom

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Portrait, 1940 (kindly provided by family) - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, 1940 (kindly provided by family) - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Leslie Ralph AWMM
  • Surname
    Balsom AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Les AWMM
  • Service number
    046662 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Methodist, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    28 October 1920 AWMM New Plymouth, Taranaki AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Unknown AWMM C/o Mr V.Wells, Pukearuhe, Waitara Rural Delivery, Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
    Farmer/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs L.J. Balsom (mother), Upper Mangorei, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    • Italy AWMM
    • Trieste AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    046662 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Unknown AWMM
    Age 19 AWMM
    Farm hand/Civilian AWMM
    Waitara, Taranaki AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 foot 10 inches AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Blue AWMM
    • Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      dark AWMM
    • Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
      Cancer AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Les farmed all his life, loved pigs, he loved playing cards, family recall he was a "cardsharp".

    Family write: he was a single man, much loved by all brothers, sisters and many friends. He always had a story. One was " in a tank in the war we had a piece of paper dropped by the Germans saying they knew the Maori Battalion had "murdered" some of thier prisoners so watch out"; another "after one battle the Germans flew a white flag out of the building but the New Zealand commander said it was too late and the building was demolished".

    Les was farming Ngariki Road 1947 - 1948, and Mangarei Road for the rest of his life. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    3 October 2003 AWMM
    Age 82 AWMM
    New Plymouth, Taranaki AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Died of Disease AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Awanui Cemetery, Awanui Street, New Plymouth, New Zealand AWMM Services Area, Row C Burials Plot 31 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Death notice: Taranaki News, 6 October 2003 AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Cemetery Records. New Plymouth District Council.
    http://www.newplymouthnz.com/AtoZOfCouncilServices/CemeteriesAndCrematorium/CemeterySearch.htm
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 13 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1944 to 31st March, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 13: WW2 8 AWMM
    • Taranaki Daily News AWMM
      Death notice: Taranaki News, 6 October 2003 AWMM

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