Private William Thomas Perks
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- 339
- Unit
- 4 Machine Gun Company
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Bullecourt, France
- Date of death
- 11 April 1917
- Age
- 19
- Plaque number
- L400A
- Co-located plaques
- L400 - PTE Arthur Holroyd
- L400B - PTE Charles Boyes
- Dedicated by
- Family on 15 February 2020
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private William Thomas Perks of 4 Machine Gun Company was born in Fremantle, one of two sons of Edwin and Emily Perks.
After leaving school, he worked as a farm hand and labourer on the family property at Korbel near Merredin.
In March 1916 William enlisted in the AIF and left Fremantle for Europe on HMAT Miltiades in August. In England he trained as a machine gunner for six months and joined his unit, 4 Machine Gun Company in France in March 1917. William’s company was attached to the infantry troops of 4 Brigade.
In April, during the battle of Bullecourt, the unit moved forward in an action in support of the infantry. The enemy brought heavy artillery, rifle and machine gun barrages onto the troops, preventing re-supplies from reaching their position and the unit was forced to retire.
Of 115 men of the company, only 16 survived.
Private William Thomas Perks, service number 339 of 4 Machine Gun Company, was killed in action on the 11 April 1917. He was 19 years of age.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial in Picardie, France.
His plaque is placed alongside Private Arthur Comport Holroyd, who was in the same 4 Machine Gun Company and died within months of each other.