Tributes

Henry Leech

Henry enlisted in the army at Hamilton on 29 July 1941 and served in the 2/29th Infantry Battalion as a Bren Gunner. He left Australia in September 1941 and served in Singapore and Malaya.

In February 1942, the Allied Forces in Singapore surrendered and Henry became a prisoner of war. He was taken to Singapore and Burma and was put to work in Changi, Mergui and Tavoy.

In December 1942 he was sent to work on the notorious Thai-Bumra Railway and remained there until the end of the war. He returned to Australia via Singapore.

Henry’s valiant battles through recent bouts of ill health were also a source of pride but this time, it would seem, the Lord had different plans for Henry. On Friday the 12 August, Henry did his daily exercise routine on the bike and thereafter joined Phyllis tending the garden. It was not until late afternoon that he began to feel unwell. In typical form Henry insisted he would be fine but the next morning he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia. On Monday evening he suffered a heart attack and it became evident that his big old heart was failing. He was moved from intensive care to a private room surrounded by loved ones where on Tuesday he put his final order in for fish and chips. This, his favourite meal, was delivered by Jeanette. It was not long after, in the early hours of Wednesday morning the 17th of August that Henry passed away peacefully with family by his side.