A State Funeral Service for Arthur Leslie Leggett OAM will take place at 10.30 am on Saturday, 10 May 2025 at Elder Hall, at St George’s Cathedral, Perth, Western Australia.
Mr Leggett was Western Australia’s oldest and last surviving Army World War II prisoner of war. He first enlisted for military service in 1936, becoming part of the newly raised Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia, before joining the first World War II Australian Imperial Force unit raised in WA, the 2/11th Battalion, 6th Division. He served with distinction, fighting in Libya, Greece, and Crete. At the age of 22 he was captured by German forces following the Battle of Crete and he remained a prisoner of war in Europe for almost four years. He was a survivor of the infamous Lamsdorf Death March.
Through his work as President of the Ex-Prisoners of War Association WA, Mr Leggett dedicated much of his life after the war to ensuring that the sacrifices of serving men and women, as well as veterans, would be remembered for generations to come. In 2004, Mr Leggett was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to veterans and their families through the Ex-Prisoner of War Association of Western Australia, and to the community.
As a mark of mourning and respect, the Australian National Flag should be flown at half-mast all day on Saturday, 10 May 2025 in Western Australia only from all buildings and establishments occupied by Australian Government departments and affiliated agencies. Other organisations are welcome to participate.
- When flying the Australian National Flag with other flags, all flags in the set should be flown at half-mast.
- If a set of flags includes the flags of other nations, it would be appropriate to seek permission from the diplomatic representatives of that nation to half-mast their flag.
- An acceptable half-mast position would be when the top of the flag is a third of the distance down from the top of the flagpole.
- Information on flag protocol is available on the Department's website.
The financial and staffing implications arising from weekend flag marshal duties are the responsibility of each organisation.
Your assistance is appreciated.
Commonwealth Flag Officer