George Perry LeDan

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In Loving Memory - St Peter's Anglican Church, Port Pirie

RSL (Port Pirie Sub Branch) Inc.

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George Perry LeDan was born in North Adelaide, South Australia on the 22nd May 1891 to Peter Perry and Aphrah Sarah LeDan (nee Petit). They lived at East Terrace, Tennyson, Port Pirie, since George was four years old.

George was passionately fond of the sea and was an expert diver and powerful swimmer. At 15 years of age, he often swum across the Port Pirie River when the mooring line of a vessel became entangled in a propeller to cut the rope adrift. He was of a jolly, unassuming disposition, very popular and well-liked by all he came in contact with, and a fine young Australian. George was employed for eight years at the Port Pirie Lead Smelters as a fitter before joining the Merchant Navy on the 25th August 1916 where he signed on with the S.S. Southborough, a cargo steamship, as 4th Engineer for £16 2 s per month.

The Southborough originally carried coal, coke and steel rails from Newcastle to Port Pirie and returned with iron ore. The 3,709 ton vessel was a regular caller into Port Pirie from 1914 until she was requisitioned by the Commonwealth authorities and passed to the control of the Imperial Government where it was defensively-armed.

On the 17th July 1918, the Southborough was on passage from La Goulette, Tunisia to Tees, United Kingdom, with a cargo of iron ore when she was torpedoed by UB-110 at 1:43pm, approximately 5 miles from Ravenscar off the Yorkshire coast. The vessel was hit on the starboard side of the forward bunker. The Southborough was in convoy at the time and sank almost at once, killing 30 of the crew, including George Perry LeDan, 3rd Engineer.

The eight survivors were picked up by an escort vessel and landed at Middlesbrough nearby.

George’s parents had not long received a letter from him on the 7th June from Malta, in which (referring to the dangers of sea travel at the present time) he made the significant and portentous remark, "If I get back I'll be one of the luckiest ever born."

George was aged 27 and has no known grave –“Known unto God”. He is commemorated on the Commemorative Roll at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra; Tower Hill Memorial in London; Port Pirie World War 1 Memorial Gates and the St Peter’s Anglican Church in Port Pirie, South Australia.

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