Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board
Percy William AMOUR, (Service Number 4278) was born at Riverstone, NSW, on 23 May 1895. On 19 July 1915 he joined the NSWGR&T as a cleaner (permanent) of electric trams in Sydney. On 23 May 1916 his position was changed to that of labourer (temporary). This was after his enlistment in the AIF, with the rank of Private (Service No. 4278), which occurred on 17 September 1915. In his Attestation Papers he gave his trade or calling as ‘Electrical Engineer’.
His nominated next of kin was his father, Mr William Amour who lived in Enmore at the time. He also stated he had prior military service, comprising two years in the Senior Cadets (20th Area) and two years in the Citizen Forces.
Percy was initially posted to the 15th Reinforcements to the 3rd Battalion. He embarked on HMAT A15 ‘Star of England’ at Sydney on 8 March 1916 for Egypt where he was transferred to the 55th Infantry Battalion on 20 April 1916. He left Alexandria for France on 19 June 1916, arriving Marseilles on 29 June 1916.
His service with the 55th Infantry Battalion in France was punctuated with bouts of ill health, including recurring ear infections over the winter of 1916-17 and being admitted to hospital for a few days suffering from exhaustion on 3 November 1916. He was killed in action in France on 2 April 1917.
Percy was initially buried at Doignes but after the end of WW I his body was exhumed and re-interred in the Hermies Hill British Cemetery, Hermies, Picardie, France. He was buried with four other members of the AIF in Graves 24 to 28, Row D, Plot 4 of that Cemetery, and a collective cross has been placed over these graves. In the ‘Particulars Required for the Roll of Honour of Australia in the Memorial War Museum’, his place of closest association was given as Lambton, NSW. The Particulars were provided by his father who, by then, was living in Tempe.
(NAA B2455-3035259)
Note: The National Archives of Australia has his details recorded under the name Percy William ARMOUR.
Read more...
Submitted 9 May 2023
by John Oakes