Leon HARTWIG [13976]
- Born: Cir Feb 1939
- Died: 1 Nov 1940, Cadell, South Australia aged about 1
- Buried: Cadell Cemetery, South Australia
 General Notes:
1940 SA Death 630/5022 HARTWIG Leon George, Albert Arthur HARTWIG [F] Murray
Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record (Renmark, SA : 1913 - 1942) Thu 7 Nov 1940 Page
DROWNING TRAGEDY AT CADELL
Baby Son of Soldier Abroad
Waikerie, Nov. 5.
Leon George Hartwig, aged 1 year and 9 months, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Hartwig, of, Cadell, came to his death under tragic circumstances on Friday.
Leon, the youngest of eight children was playing with two other members of the family, Bernice aged five, and Phillip aged three, in the back yard of his home at Cadell at about 12 noon, several hundred yards from the main irrigation channel. Mrs. Hartwig, who had been watching the children, left them to go into the house to prepare dinner. On returning she discovered that the three children had clambered through the fence and were playing near the channel. The elder two returned when called, and failing the return of Leon, Mrs. Hartwig rushed to discover his where abouts. She was later joined by Mr Basham, of Cadell, and assisted by other searchers, a thorough search of the scrub in the vicinity was made, and Mr. Basham rang, neighbouring orchardists to keep a close watch on channels and syphons.
At about 1 p.m. the tiny body was found by Mr. S. Bowden, who in an attempt to discover the cause of the blocking of the syphon near the property of Mr. A. Shields, found the infant in the syphon caught by one hand. The small body had been carried about 1,000 yards along the channel, and had passed through several syphons. " Bowden called Mr. Shields who lifted the child from the channel. Mr. Shields and Mr. Pearce head teacher of Cadell school, rendered first aid, but Mr. Shields considers life was extinct when the body was recovered.
The drowning is all the more tragic in that the father is in England serving with the 2/10th Battalion.
A faithful dog owned by the children, apparently endeavoured to warn searchers that the child had fallen in the channel, by dashing frantically backwards, and forwards to the channel.
Sergeant Hinton and Dr. Platonov were called immediately from Morgan. An inquest has been deemed unnecessary.
The burial took, place at the Cadell cemetery on Sunday afternoon. The Service was conducted by the Rev. Wiseman.
Cadell Cemetery: HARTWIG Leon George 1y 9m 1940
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