The Soldier's Details
- Surname:
- Helliwell
- First Name:
- Leonard
- Nick Name:
- Len
- Rank:
- Lance Corporal
- Regimental #:
- WX9755
- Classification:
- Clerk
- Company:
- 'C' Company Headquarters
- Enlisted:
- 6.12.1940
- DOB:
- 20.07.1898
- Place of Birth:
- North Perth, Western Australia
- Father's Name:
- Isaac Helliwell
- Mothers's Name:
- Rosina Helliwell (nee Goodwin)
- Religion:
- Salvation Army
- Pre-war Occupation:
- Fire Insurance Officer
- Memorial:
- Epitaph, Singapore Memorial, Column 135, Age 43.
- Cause of Death:
- Killed in Action
- Place of Death:
- Hill 200, Ulu Pandan
- Date of Death:
- 12.02.1942
- Buried:
- Where killed at map reference 775128 by Major A. Cough Party on 21.12.1942
General Description
Helliwell arrives Bassendean following 2/4th march from Northam, March 1941.
Rosina and Isaac Helliwell had a large family of 6 surviving sons and 6 daughters. Len was the 5th son. The family resided North Fremantle.
Len’s father Isaac Helliwell died in 1931 and his mother Rosina (nee Goodwin) died 19 January 1930.
At age 15 in Dec 1913 Len was employed WAGR (his father Isaac also worked WAGR) and continued working here until June 1923.
During WW1 his older brother Albert (Bert) enlisted with 44th Btn. He returned home.
Young brother Edgar (Eddie) began employment with WAGR aged 15 years in 1918 and continued working other than for short periods of time due to lay-offs until his young death in 1941. According to WAGR records he had sick leave twice during 1941, taking up most of the last four months prior to his death. The same day his older brother Harry Helliwell died, 23 June aged 53 years. Harry, a farmer from Maya was in same ward at Perth Hospital as his younger brother Eddie.
See newspaper notice below.
In 1936 Len married Yvonne Adrienne Fielder. They had one son Geoffrey born in 1939 – 2011. Geoffrey was 2 years old when his father was KIA Singapore.
The Electoral Rolls for 1936 until he enlisted, showed Len and Yvonne residing Riley Road, Claremont.
Lance Corporal Len Helliwell was reported missing on 16 February 1942. Harry Pickett was informed by members of ‘C’ Coy that Helliwell had been killed in action.
Towards end of May 1942 a 2/4th party slipped out from Adam Park to Hill 200 and discovered the body of Len Helliwell unburied.
The Japanese had not allowed POWs to search and bury any of their dead – it was many months later POW search parties were formally granted permission to find and bury their dead.
Len was finally buried 21 Dec 1942 by Major Cough’s party – having finally been granted official permission by the Japanese at M/R 775128.
Please read further about Ulu Pandan
Happier days in 1936.
Len’s death in Singapore at the age of 43 years, left his young wife Yvonne widowed with a young son Geoffrey to care for.
