Gunnedah Shire Council considered an applciation for two street names in the new Links Road housing estate at its July meeting.

One of the newly created roads will be called Parish Avenue after former owners of part of the land.

An initial proposal of Reading Close for the second road was refused because Gunnedah already has a Reading Road.

Instead, Siffleet Terrace was chosen from council’s list of preferred street names.

Leonard “Len” George Siffleet was an Australian Commando in World War II.

He was executed by the Japanese at Aitape, Papua New Guinea in 1943.

Mr Siffleet was a shop assistant who joined the Second Australian Imperial Force in 1941, and was made a sergeant in 1943.

He was engaged to Clarice Lane.

Mr Siffleet was on a mission in Papua New Guinea when he and two other men were captured and handed over to the Japanese. The three men were tortured and beheaded.

A photograph taken just before Mr Siffleet’s execution became well-known following the war. 

The photo – believed to be the only surviving image of a Japanese soldier executing a western prisoner of war – was found on the body of a dead Japanese soldier by American troops.

Mr Siffleet is remembered at the Lae Memorial in Lae, Papua New Guinea, and a memorial park commemorating the soldier was also dedicated at Aitape in May 2015.

The only other street in the Gunnedah subdivision, Richmond Drive, was already named as part of the Mornington Heights subdivision.

Council has publicly advertised the new street names. Anyone who would like to view the proposal can see the details at council’s administration building. Written comments close on Friday, August 21.