Heedes, Percy Edwin
294 Driver Percy Edwin Heedes - 12th Field Artillery Brigade AIF
Percy was born on 7th September 1894 in Fremantle WA to George and Rosa Heedes and was one of twelve siblings born into the family.
Percy was educated locally and the family lived at 18 Carnac Street Fremantle. (later renumbered to 4 Carnac St) He was educated locally at Beaconsfield Primary School and Fremantle Boys School. During this time he also served in the Navel Cadets as well as being an active member at St Paul's Gymnasium.
After leaving school he continued service with the Navy, joining the Royal Australian Naval Reserve forces. He continued this service while working as a Clerk at the Commercial Travellers Club in Perth.
On the 17th April 1915 Percy enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was passed as fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording Percy's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 4 inches tall;
Weight - not recorded;
Chest Measurement - 34 inches;
Complexion - Fresh;
Eyes - Blue;
Hair - Brown.
Upon his successful enlistment and due to his navy service he was assigned to the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train. He was passed as fit for service in this unit by the Commander LS Bracegirdle.
Percy had been sent across to Melbourne to complete his training and in June 1915 the Royal Australian Navy Bridging Train departed from Port Melbourne aboard the transport ship HMAT Port Macquarie.
Percy had been given the rank of AB Driver.
The 1st Royal Australian Naval Bridging Train (RANBT) was intended to be a horse-drawn engineering unit that could support operations on the Western Front. A ‘train’ was a series of wagons that carried a unit’s building materials and the other equipment needed to build roads, railways and bridges.
However after arrival in Egypt, the RANBT was sent on to Gallipoli, firstly to Imbros Island and then to Suvla Bay. However Percy was left on Imbros Island and was then returned to Egypt. He had contracted Venereal Disease and this meant that he would be returned to Australia.
On the 4th August 1915 Percy left Suez aboard the transport ship Port Lincoln and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the.....
Percy would need to get over this illness before returning to the front. On the 18th April 1916 he was assigned to the 10th Reinforcements to the RANBT and set sail aboard the transport ship Anchises.
Percy rejoined his unit in Egypt in May 1916. The RANBT spent 1916 maintaining and operating the bridges over the Suez Canal in Egypt. Percy and his unit took part in the amphibious assault on Turkish positions at El Arish.
Australian authorities disbanded the RANBT on 27 March 1917, and the men were given a choice of serving further in other Australian units or be returned to Australia. Percy chose to continue to serve.
On the 4th May 1917 Percy departed Alexandria Egypt aboard a troopship bound for England. On the 14th May 1917 Percy was sent to No.3 Camp at Parkhouse where he remained for a few weeks. On the 4th may 1917 Percy was then transferred to the Royal British Artillery training camp at Larkhill on the Salisbury Plains.
Percy would spent the next four months at Larkhill being trained in the use of Artillery. On the 12th October 1917 he left England and proceeded across to France where he was sent into the Australian Base Depot at Rouelles. He only spent a few days here and was then taken on strength of the 12th Field Artillery Brigade on the 17th October 1917.
Percy was posted to the 112th Battery of the 12th Field Artillery Brigade and was given the rank of Gunner.
The 12th FAB were then serving near Ypres, supporting the infantry operations around Passchendaele. They were here till November 1917 and were then moved south east of Ypres, supporting the Australian infantry between Hollebeke and Messines in Belgium. They were in this sector from December 1917 to March 1918.
On the 21st March 1918 the Germans launched their massive offensive which broke through the British line on the St Quentin front. The Germans made a quick advance. The Australian infantry Divisions which were then in Belgium, where sent south to stop this advance.
The Artillery batteries were due to follow the infantry divisions south, but were still up north, when, in early April 1918 the Germans launched another large attack, this time in Belgium, and once again they were initially successful. The 12th Field Artillery Brigade HQ were soon to find themselves in the front line as the Germans made a swift advance. The 12th Brigade HQ positions came under German rifle fire and Percy and his fellow Gunners had to mount a hurried defence to protect their artillery batteries and withdraw their guns. They helped form a defence near the La Bassee Canal.
They managed to withdraw under German fire and set up positions further back from which they supported the British infantry of the 51st Division in stopping the advance. Percy and the 12th Field Artillery Brigade then remained in the northern French sector for the next few months. They were now supporting the 1st Australian Division around Merris and Meteren in Northern France.
On the 23rd June 1918 the 12th Field Artillery Brigade were supporting infantry operations around Meteren. Though it was successful, the Germans launched artillery fire on the Australian positions and Percy was wounded. He was hit by shrapnel in the leg, thigh, arm, elbow and face.
After treatment at the 3rd Field Ambulance he was sent to the 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was then put on an ambulance train which took him to the French town of Boulogne. He was then admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital.
Unfortunately Percy's wounds were severe and they could not save his leg and it had to be amputated. Percy was in hospital at Boulogne until the 28th August 1918. He was then transferred to England where he was admitted to a Military Hospital. He was then transferred to the 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall on the 6th September 1918.
The 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital specialised in amputation cases. Percy would be a patient here until February 1919, though during this time he had been given periods of leave in which he was able to test out his false leg.
On the 21st March 1919 Percy was sent to Liverpool where he boarded the transport ship Czar. The ship set sail for Egypt, and Percy was disembarked and then transferred to another ship the Dongola which then brought him back to Fremantle on the 7th May 1919.
On arrival home, Percy was disembarked and sent to No.8 Australian General Hospital in South Terrace Fremantle. He spent several months here and was then discharged from the AIF on the 24th January 1920.
He then returned to the family home in Carnac Street. He embarked on further studies and in a few years would qualify as an accountant.
In 1921 Percy was married to Elizabeth Fraser Spowart in Fremantle and they had one child called Douglas, born in 1922.
The Sunday Times 3rd July 1921 edition had a short report of the Wedding.
After the marriage, the family were living at Cambridge Street Leederville and Percy was working as an accountant.
His father died in Fremantle 1929 and his mother passed away in East Fremantle in 1949.
By 1931 Percy and the family had moved to Nicholson road Subiaco and they would be here through to the 1950's.
Percy died on the 25th July 1960 in Subiaco. He was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery. His wife Elizabeth died in 1982.