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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
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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.
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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
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!