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Borain , William Richard (W R)

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No photograph available — remembrance poppy
Identity
Person No.
2134
Service No.
6578
Last Name
Borain 2
First Name
William Richard
Initials
W R
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
1917 (±1 yr) 539
Age at Death
24
Death Record
Date of Death
16 December 1941 123
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action 14,654
Killed in action
Military Service
Branch
Army
Rank
Private
Regiment
Royal Durban Light Infantry 161
Later renamed Durban Light Infantry (1961)
Corps
South African Infantry Corps 10,343
Unit
1st Bn. 625
Defence Force
UDF 24,809
Union Defence Force
Location
Country
Egypt 2,947
Locality
Unknown
Cemetery
HALFAYA SOLLUM WAR CEMETERY 382
Grave Reference
13. A. 6. 1
Coordinates
31.54956, 25.16047 OSM
Memorial
Roll of Honour of the Royal Durban Light Infantry, 1939-1945 (panel 2 of 2) Source: kznpr.co.za (KZN: A Photographic Historical Record)
Names on WWII Roll of Honour
Memorial
Durban Light Infantry Chapel (Chapel of St Michael & St George)
Location
Durban Light Infantry Headquarters, Durban
Address
5 DLI Avenue, Durban, South Africa
Coordinates
-29.84722, 31.01583 · OpenStreetMap
Panel
WWII Roll of Honour
On the panel
Position on the panel will be added with photographs
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry
Status
Active Citizen Force
"Royal" dropped 1961 on Republic formation.
Notes

Son of Basil and Louisa G. Borain, of Stanger, Natal, South Africa.

Research notes


K.M. Jordan, Royal Durban Light Infantry WWII Roll of Honour ("working document", Aug 2026 draft; email to John & Bobby, 4 Sep 2026, marked "not 100% correct"): BORAIN, William Richard (Son of Basil & Louisa Georgina (nee Coetzee) Borain, of Stanger, Natal.) 6578 Private Royal Durban Light Infantry Born South Africa circa 1917; employed with the Associate Engineers in JHB & Durban before enlistment; served with the 1st Battalion RDLI in North Africa; killed in action at Bardia, Libya. Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt. (Also, on the Empangeni; the Zululand (in Eshowe) & the Royal Durban Light Infantry WWII Memorials.) Not on Durban Cenotaph WWII Memorial. 16/12/1941 PSJL-2XC 24

Citations
Unknown
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