VALE, Percy
| Service Number: | 2829 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 July 1915, Enlisted at Warwick Farm, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Driver |
| Last Unit: | 5th Divisional Train |
| Born: | Beechworth, Victoria, Australia, 1876 |
| Home Town: | Blowhard, Ballarat North, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Myrtleford, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Albury, New South Wales , Australia , 11 June 1953, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Myrtleford Cemetery, Victoria Block C, Row 8, Grave 9 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 20 Jul 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2829, 18th Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Warwick Farm, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Nov 1915: | Involvement Private, 2829, 18th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 2 Nov 1915: | Embarked Private, 2829, 18th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 19 Nov 1918: | Transferred AIF WW1, Driver, 5th Divisional Train, In France | |
| 29 Jun 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Driver, 2829, 5th Divisional Train, Discharged at the 3rd Military District |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Richard Thorley
My grand uncle Percy Vale's mother was Lizzie Gower nee Hill Valee. His wife was Millicent Daisy Vale.
Percy VALE 1879-1953
When Percy Vale was born in 1879 in Beechworth, Victoria, his father, Francis (Frank) John Vale, was 33 and his mother, Lizzie Gower nee Hill, was 24.
Frank was a teacher at Myrtleford where the family lived at the school. Percy spent his childhood at Myrtleford.
Percy was the fourth of ten children. He had five brothers and four sisters.
His brother Frank Vale (Jr) had died of dysentery aged only one year at Hillsborough, well before Percy was born.
His brother Herbert was born at Hillsbourough in 1875, his sister Daisy was also born there in 1877.
So Percy had two surviving older siblings. The other six were all younger than him.
His brother Sydney was born in 1881 in Beechworth, Victoria, when Percy was 2 years old.
His brother Tom was born on 3 August 1883 when Percy was 4 years old.
His sister Vera was born in 1888 in Beechworth, Victoria, when Percy was 9 years old.
His sister Nellie was born in 1890 in Myrtleford, Victoria, when Percy was 11 years old.
His sister Dorothy Frances was born in 1892 in Myrtleford, Victoria, when Percy was 13 years old.
His brother Francis John was born in 1897 when Percy was 18 years old.
His brother Herbert, aged 31, died unexpectedly on 2 July 1906 in Prahran, Victoria, following an operation on a a stomach abcess, when Percy was 27 years old. Herbert was survived by his wife Ida and their infant daughter Marjorie.
Percy's father Francis John passed away, of apoplexy (stroke) on 5 May 1911 in Myrtleford, Victoria, at the age of 64. Herbert was 32.
Percy Vale enlisted in the army on 20 July 1915 in Blowhard, Victoria, when he was 36 years old. Oddly, his army papers claim he was 39.
His attestation papers show he had been employed as a miner.
He was 5 feet 6 inches tall (167.6 cm) and weighed 140 pounds (63.5 kg). Chest measurement was 34 inches (37 inflated). His eyes were hazel and of good health. He had dark hair and a ruddy complexion.
Religion was listed as Presbyterian.
Nearest of kin is shown as his mother Lizzie who was living at Mount Blowhard, Victoria.
He was assigned to 6th Reinforcements 18th Battalion. They embarked from Sydney on 2nd November 1915 on board SS Euripides. By this time the Battalion had been fighting at Gallipoli for some time.
Percy was appointed Driver on 12 February 1916.
On 13 Feb 1916 he was at Metras, Alexandria, Egypt where he was “Taken on the strength of the 10th Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) from the 6th Reinforcements 18th Battalion.”
He was admitted to hospital, sick, at Tel-El-Kebir on 3 June 1916.
Transferred to 29th Company, Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) from 16th Company.
Embarked from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, on board "SS Knight Templar”, disembarking at Marseilles, France.
Between 29 May 1917 and 12 Jun 1917 he was on leave in the United Kingdom.
On the 23rd August 1917 in France, he was charged with the Crime of “Neglect to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in that he between 9 am on 11.8.17 and 4 pm on 16.8.17 when in charge of a set of harness, neglected to keep same clean and serviceable”. He was awarded 1 day forfeit of pay......so he was a driver of horse drawn vehicles.
He was on leave in the United Kingdom from 15 Feb 1918 to 8 March 1918 and again from 1 Nov to 22 Nov 1918. He overstayed his leave and was AWL from 18 Nov to 22 Nov and awarded forfeiture of 6 days pay.
He was marched out for Australia on 10 Jan 1919 and embarked for England 17th January 1919.
He embarked from England on Board "SS Kildonian Castle", 21 Mar 1919 for Australia disembarking on 7 May 1919. He was discharged on 29 June 1919.
He was awarded the 1914/1915 Star, British War Medal , the Victory Medal.
After the war, Percy became a carpenter.
Percy Vale married Myrtle Millicent Daisy Cousins in Victoria in 1920. Myrtle was the daughter of Harriet nee Hardisty and Phillip Joshua Cousins, a Welsh miner of Gapsted, near Myrtleford.
By 1930 Percy and Myrtle lived at 76a St Georges Crescent Drummoyne a beachside suburb 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district.
Percy and Myrtle lived in Drummoyne, New South Wales, in 1934.
Percy's mother Lizzie Gower passed away on 24 February 1935 in Mosman, New South Wales, at the age of 80. Percy was 56. She was buried at Myrtleford where she shares her husband's grave.
In 1949 Percy and Myrtle lived at 12 Garrett Street Moss Vale NSW.
Percy Vale died at 289 Townsend Street, Albury, on 11 June 1953 at the age of 74. Cause of death was Carcinoma Bronchus (lung cancer). His occupation is shown as winch driver. His brother Tom Vale was the infomant. Percy and Myrtle did not have children.
Percy is buried at Myrtleford Cemetery, where his parents are also buried.
His war grave memorial plaque reads:-
2829A Driver
P. VALE
5 DIVISIONAL TRAIN
11TH JUNE 1953 AGE 74
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS
THAT HE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE
Myrtle survived Percy by another 29 years.
She lived at 957 Mate Street, Albury North, NSW.
She died at Mercy Hospital, Albury NSW on 1982. Cause of death was primarily Coronary Occlusion, of duration 12 hours.
Myrtle Millicent Daisy nee Cousins Vale is buried at Plot C 8-9 at Myrtleford Cemetery, next to her husband Percy Vale.
Many of her Cousins/Couzens and the Vale families are interred in the same cemetery.
Compiled Nov 2021 by Richard Thorley, a great-nephew.
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