Leslie Raymond Shaw
Born 17 Jan 1901 - Died 3 Mar 1947
- Service number
- WWI 4/33a AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Last rank
- WW1 Driver/Military AWMM New Zealand Engineers, 1 Field Company AWMM
- 2nd Lieutenant/Military AWMM Royal Air Force AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Leslie Raymond AWMM
- Surname
- Shaw AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
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- Service number
- WWI 4/33a AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 17 Jan 1901 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Pre 28 Sep 1914 AWMM New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Pilot AWMM
- Broadcaster/Civilian AWMM
- Next of kin
- WW1 Mr Langley Shaw (father), 29 Ingate Place, Battersea Park, London, England AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 1915 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- Suvla AWMM
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- Sailly-sur-le-Lys AWMM
- Battle of Messines AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 4/33a AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 28 Sep 1914 AWMM
Age 13 AWMM
School boy/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 Sapper AWMM New Zealand Engineers, 1 Field Company AWMM New Zealand Engineers, British Section AWMM
- WW1 Royal Flying Corps, No. 62 Squadron AWMM Royal Flying Corps AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
5 foot 5 inches AWMM - Weight, Unknown Period AWMM
8 stone 6 pounds AWMM
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 18 Dec 1917 AWMM
Discharged on account of being underage AWMM
Driver/Military AWMM
New Zealand Engineers, 1 Field Company AWMM - Unknown AWMM
Resigned AWMM
2nd Lieutenant/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force AWMM
- WW1 18 Dec 1917 AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- The youngest ANZAC, he enlisted aged 13 years 8 months, though declaring his age as 16 years. By the end of the war he had served 3 years 82 days with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and had re-enlisted to serve with the Royal Air Force again in France.
Embarked for Gallipoli from Alexandria 12 April 1915
His mother petitioned for his discharge in 1917; he then re-enlisted gaining a commission with the Royal Air Force to serve in France and after the war in India.
After the war he was a planter, a pioneer pilot in New Guinea and then when settled in Perth, Australia he worked in broadcasting. AWMM - 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 de-mobbed 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. t
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 in fact young enough to enlist into the Second Australian Imperial Force.Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 10 October 2025 - Credit : Australian War Memorial.
- The youngest ANZAC, he enlisted aged 13 years 8 months, though declaring his age as 16 years. By the end of the war he had served 3 years 82 days with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and had re-enlisted to serve with the Royal Air Force again in France.
About death
- Death
- 3 Mar 1947 AWMM
Age 46 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Karrakatta Cemetery, Perth, Western Australia AWMM Section ZP Grave site 0154 AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R7816232
Further Reference - The youngest ANZAC surely: Perth man's remarkable war record, Sunday Times (Perth, WA 1 September 1935.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/59450320
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Sunday Star Times
Robinson, M. (2012, 18 March). Researcher uncovers story of the child ANZAC on Gallipoli - Sunday Star Times
McGibbon, I. (2012, 18 March). Our youngest ANZAC. - Information kindly provided by family
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Annabell, N. Official History of the New Zealand Engineers during the Great War 1914–1919. Wanganui: Evans, Cobb & Sharpe, 1927.
- Sunday Star Times
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