LEO DONOHUE

The Donohue family of Norman's Road received another blow when they heard news that their son and brother Leo was killed in action on 3 December 1917, six weeks after his brother Laurence. Leo was 21 years old and served in the 3rd Canterbury Battalion. He had joined up a week after his brother, leaving his job as a clerk at the New Zealand Farmers' Cooperative. He arrived in France in time to take part in the Messines offensive. In July 1917 he was transferred to the 4th Trench Mortar battery, and survived the battles at Passchendaele only to be killed in action at Polderhoek Chateau. Like several other men from Papanui, he is commemorated at the Buttes memorial near Polygon Wood. He and his twin brother Laurence are the first names on the memorial in the chapel at St Bede's College on Main North Road, Papanui. However, his name has been omitted from the Papanui memorial even though his twin and elder brother are recorded there.

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