- Arthur Leggett OAM to be honoured with State Funeral Service this Saturday
- Riderless horse to lead military procession down St Georges Terrace
- A fly over by the Royal Australian Air Force will take place before the service begins
Western Australians will witness a rarely seen event in the city centre this Saturday as part of the State Funeral Service to honour Arthur Leggett - WA's oldest and last surviving World War II Prisoner of War.
At approximately 9.40am a military procession will slowly march from West Perth down St Georges Terrace. The procession will include two guards comprised of soldiers from the Royal Western Australia Regiment, a Bearer Party, Gun Tractor and Carriage as well as the WA Army Band.
In a poignant symbol, a riderless horse (from the Western Australian Mounted Police) will lead the march. A riderless horse at the head of the parade symbolises a fallen service person. The horse, led by a handler, will have reversed boots in the stirrups, indicating that the rider has died.
Members of the public are invited to line the St Georges Terrace route from Mill Street and follow behind the procession after it has passed.
The procession will conclude with a fly over by the Royal Australian Air Force before the State Funeral Service is held at St Georges Cathedral.
The cathedral's tenor bell will toll 106 times, oncefor every year of Mr Leggett's long life, falling silent at 10.30am as the State Funeral commences.
A lone piper will lead the clergy and bearer party into the cathedral followed by members of Arthur Leggett's family. The State Funeral will also feature a range of speakers, including the Premier and the Governor.
Seating inside St Georges Cathedral is limited to family and official mourners. Members of the public are welcome to watch the live broadcast from the public viewing area in Stirling Gardens (opposite the cathedral).
Mr Leggett died on 6 April 2025, aged 106 years old. He first enlisted for military service in 1936 and served with distinction, fighting in Libya, Greece, and Crete. At 22 years of age, he was captured by German forces following the Battle of Crete and remained a prisoner of war for almost four years.
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. He was the President of the Ex-Prisoners of War Association WA for 29 years.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"Arthur Leggett was a hero whose bravery and contribution to his community will never be forgotten.
"The service and procession will be a very special event and will provide an opportunity for Western Australians to pay their respects to a man who sacrificed so much for his country."
As stated by Veterans Minister Paul Papalia:
"Arthur Leggett was a remarkable Western Australian whose devotion to his fellow veterans never faded.
"The State Funeral will be a once in a generation event and a chance for all of us to honour the extraordinary courage Arthur showed in the darkest of times.
"The freedoms we enjoy today are the result of the sacrifices made by those who served, and I invite the community to come along and pay their respects."
