Willis, Percy

No.3147 – Private Percy Willis – 11^th Battalion AIF

Percy Willis was born in Fremantle WA in 1896 to George and Eliza Willis. He was one of 10 siblings and the family lived in Stirling Street Fremantle. Percy was educated at Fremantle Boys School and during this time he joined the Naval Cadets. After leaving school Percy began work in a Boot warehouse and also saw service with the 86A cadets of the Citizens Military Forces. On the 2^nd July 1915 Percy, aged just 19, went to the Francis Street Drill Hall in Perth to enlist in the AIF.

He was accepted as fit for service with the medical examiner stating that Percy was 5 feet 7 & ¼ inches tall; weight of 143lbs; chest measurement of 33-35 inches; fair complexion; blue eyes and fair hair. His religious denomination was congregational and his next of kin was listed as his father George. Upon his successful enlistment Percy was sent to Blackboy Hill camp where he was assigned to the 9^th Reinforcements to the 16^th battalion. He remained with this group until the 30^th September and was then transferred to the 10^th Reinforcements to the 11^th Battalion.

For the next two weeks Percy trained with this group in WA but their departure orders now arrived and after packing up camp they entrained for Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the HMAT Themistocles. On the 13^th October the ship left port and sailed for Egypt, reaching Alexandria in early November 1915. Percy was then disembarked and sent into the 3^rd Training Battalion. He would have been expecting to be sent on to Gallipoli but plans were soon in place to evacuate the Dardanelles battlefields so the reinforcements were held in Egypt.

After the evacuation of Gallipoli was complete the 11^th Battalion returned to Egypt and Percy was taken on strength of “B” Company on the 7^th January 1916 at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. For the next few months the Battalion trained in Egypt and also held portions of the Suez Canal defence line. On the 1^st March 1916 Percy was sent to the 1^st Field Ambulance with tonsillitis but returned to his unit five days later.

The 11^th Battalion soon departed for France, boarding the HMT Corsican in Alexandria Harbour on the 29^th March, arriving at Marseilles on the 5^th April 1916. After being disembarked the men were marched through the city to the railway station where they boarded trains which took them to northern France. They arrived in the Armentieres sector where they were initially billeted and were then sent to the Fleurbaix sector where they had their first experience of trench life on the Western Front.

The 11^th battalion remained here from April to June 1916 and in July they were sent to the Somme battlefield. The 1^st Australian Division relieved a British unit in mid July and was then ordered to capture Pozieres village. On the 23^rd July 1916 the advance went ahead and the village was successfully captured. The 11^th Battalion endured several days under a devastating German bombardment but Percy came through this unscathed. On the 28^th July the 11^th Battalion were relieved and they had a fortnight rest but returned to the front again to take part in further action against the German positions at Mouquet farm. On the 20^th August Percy was wounded when shrapnel hit his shoulder and was evacuated to the 4^th Field Ambulance. After initial treatment he was taken to the 44^th Casualty Clearing Station. A day later; Percy was put on an Ambulance train; and sent to Etaples where he was admitted to the 26^th General Hospital.

For the next week Percy remained there but on the 30^th August he was sent to Calais where he boarded a hospital ship which took him to England. Percy was then admitted to the 1/4^th Northern General Hospital in Lincoln. He spent the next three weeks in Lincolnshire recovering from his serious wound but on the 22^nd September he was discharged and sent south the No.2 Command Depot Camp at Weymouth. Percy’s fitness was assessed here and he spent the next several weeks in camp.

On the 30^th October 1916 Percy was transferred to No.3 Command Depot and then No.1 Command Depot at Perham Downs. He would spend the rest of 1916 in England while his fitness improved enough to be returned to France. It wasn’t until the 8^th February 1917 that Percy was returned to France and on the 9^th February he was marched into the 1^st Australian Division Base Depot. Percy rejoined the 11^th battalion in the field on the 24^th February 1917 and rejoined “B” Company as a Lewis Gunner.

He returned in time to see action with his battalion at le Barque and also during the German’s withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line when his unit saw action at Morchies. On the 15^th April Percy was evacuated to hospital with trench feet so it is unknown if he fought with his battalion as they defended their positions against the Germans at Lagnicourt. Percy’s condition was serious enough to be sent to the 3^rd Canadian Stationary Hospital and after being assessed here it was decided to send him to England. On the 23^rd April 1917 Percy was admitted to the 1^st Auxiliary Hospital in Lewisham and he remained there recovering until the 14^th June 1917.

Percy was then given a furlough until the 3^rd July after which he had to report to No.2 Command Depot. He spent six days there and on the 9^th July was transferred to No.4 Command Depot at Codford Camp. Percy spent the next few weeks there and on the 4^th August was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade. A further month was spent here as Percy waited to be attached to a draft of soldiers returning to France. On the 5^th September 1917 he finally left England and returned to France.

He would only spend a few days in the Base Depot in Le Havre as he rejoined the 11^th battalion on the 20^th September 1917. This was the same day that the 11^th Battalion took part in the successful advance on the Menin Road near Ypres. For the next few weeks the 11^th battalion remained in the Polygon Wood and Zonnebeke sector as the advance towards Passchendaele crawled ahead.

On the 7^th October 1917 the 11^th Battalion successfully raided German positions at Celtic Wood. Casualties were light on the raid but the Germans retaliated with a bombardment on the Australian lines. Percy was on a Lewis Gun in the forward trench when a German shell exploded alongside him killing him instantly. A mate of his, No.3363 Pte P.S. Holman reported that Percy’s helmet, with half his head inside was blown into his own gun position. Percy was buried in the trench, though after the war his grave could not be located and is thus commemorated on the Menin gate Memorial in Ypres.

Percy's brother John served in the Railway Corps and returned to WA in 1918.