Leo Joseph CULELL

Year of Birth: 1921

Place of Birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Date of Enlistment: 28 July 1942, In The Field, Western Australia

Australian Defence Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Private

Unit(s): 2/48 Infantry Battalion, Attached to 2/3 Anti-Tank Regiment

Service Number: VX107113

Died: 25 November 1944

Age: 23 years

Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot A – Row B – Grave 18 

“Mors Janua Vitae”

Leo Joseph was the son of Francisco and Jean Beatrice (Peterson) Culell, born 3 July 1921 and was the youngest of nine children. His father, who was from Spain, died in 1934 and his mother died in 1943, a year after he had enlisted.

The 2/48 Infantry Battalion was Australia’s highest decorated unit of the Second World War.

Private Culell was killed in Service.

Leo Joseph Culell’s name is on South Melbourne Honour board and also located at panel 63 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.

Online Resources

NAA: B883, (CULELL Leo Joseph) National Archives of Australia

Australian War Memorial

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Department Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Rolls

National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers

Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages

If you have a photograph or further information about this soldier you would like to share and add to his biography, please contact the Society at projects@cdfhs.org or leave a comment below. Thank you!

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