Private Percy Michael Anderson
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- 1205
- Unit
- 32 Battalion
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Fleurbaix, France
- Date of death
- 20 July 1916
- Age
- 25
- Plaque number
- M346A
- Co-located plaques
- M346 - LCPL Clifford Oates
- Dedicated by
- Family on 19 November 2011
- More information
Percy Michael Anderson was born in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1891 to parents William Anderson and Annie Griffin who married in Fremantle in 1888.
He was one of eight siblings with five brothers and two sisters.
Percy attended the Christian Brothers College, Fremantle for his schooling.
Percy’s father was a printer publisher, journalist for the Liberty Newspaper in Market Street Fremantle.
Percy’s parents moved to Bunbury from Fremantle before returning back to Fremantle in 1905.
In 1908 Percy moved to King William Road Osborne Park where he was employed as a hod carrier, which was labouring carrying supplies to bricklayers, stonemasons, or cement finishers.
In 1915 at Leederville Percy married a Sophia Alice Boness where they resided in Hector Street Osborne Park.
Percy enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force in July 1915, conducting his training at Blackboy Hill, where he was attached 32 Battalion.
This battalion was to be made up with two companies from Western Australia and with two companies from South Australia where the battalion formed.
Percy was allocated to D Company, embarking from Adelaide in November 1915 arriving in Suez Egypt in December 1915.
In June 1916 Percy embarked from Alexandria with the British Expeditionary Force for the Western Front arriving at Marseilles France.
Percy with the battalion was transported by train to an area near Hazebrouck in northern France in preparation for the Battle of Fromelles in July 1916.
On 19 July 1916 just before 6pm, Percy with his battalion climbed over the trench parapets to attack the heavily defended German trenches to capture Fromelles.
The Australians had the shortest distance to cross no man’s land towards the trenches.
Percy’s company, D with B company formed the third and fourth waves where A and C companies of 32 battalion formed the first and second waves of the attack.
At the commencement of the attack the Australians sustained heavy casualties from the German machine guns.
Initially Percy was reported as wounded during the assault, suffering from wounds at a dressing station. However, this turned out to be a mistake and he was finally reported missing after the battle.
A later report on Percy’s fate from an eye witness stated, he had seen him in no man’s land on the night of the attack where he was hit by shrapnel and killed along with seven other men.
With no further news of Percy’s fate forthcoming, was determined as killed in action by a court of inquiry.
Private Percy Michael Anderson, service number 1205 of 32 Battalion was killed in action on 20 July 1916 at Fromelles, France. He was 25 years of age.
He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Memorial at VC Corner Australian Military Cemetery, Fromelles, France.
His plaque is placed alongside Lance Corporal Clifford Nicholls Oates of 32 Battalion, who served with Percy and died on the same day.
Two of Percy’s brothers also enlisted into the A.I.F., one attached to 44 Battalion in 1916 with the other attached to the Australian Army Medical Corp in 1915. Both brothers served overseas returning to Australia in 1919.
Percy’s father at the age of 45 years also enlisted into the A.I.F. in 1916. He embarked for overseas service for England with the Ras-El-Tin Convalescent Depot, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital. He returned to Australia in 1919 where he died in March 1947 aged 85 years.