Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Percy Leonard Ellsworth was born to the parents Fredrick Thomas Ellsworth and Sarah Jane Tyson in 1895 at Sebastopol, Victoria. He was born with fair light brown hair and blue eyes. He worked as a farmer from a young age until when he started service. Percy didn’t have kids and was single for most of his life before he passed away. Percy first enlisted with the 14th Battalion Ballarat Light Horse for just under 4 months before he moved to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, Reinforcement. At a young age he was a farmer until he turned the age of 20 helping his family and working hard with the crops and gardening.

When he first joined the war, he embarked from Adelaide, South Australia to board the HMAT A30 Borda on 11 January 1916. 

Surprisingly, during the war Percy was healthy. He did not visit the hospital at all while all the war was occurring. Although, after the war Percy ended up in the hospital for a check-up for his health.

While still being in all the action of the war, Percy managed to avoid all of the injuries, wounds or sicknesses while seeing his squad get severely hurt, unwell and suffer. Percy then returned from the war at the end of his service without any bad injuries or illness. In World War 1, he fought in the battles of Battle of Romani, the Battle of Magdhaba, the Battle of Rafa, the First and Second Battles of Gaza, the Battle of Maghar Ridge, and the First Battle of Amman.

The Battle of Romani lasted 3 days long in 1916 3-5th of August. This battle was the last battle to be held near the Suez Canal in World War 1. In the Sanai desert, British and Anzac forces beat the German-Ottoman army that had come from Katia. The attack slowed down with the Australians and New Zealanders making the enemies fall deep into the desert sand where the British army kept a strong army. After a long time fighting, the Central Powers retreated.

The battle of Magdhaba was only one day long on the 23rd of December 1916. After The victory of Britain, the Opponents retreated. When the British and Anzac forces got there, it was abandoned, and the Ottomans were at Magdhaba. The British and New Zealand troops walked for a whole night to then attack them without them knowing they were coming. They got off their horses and fought with bayonets, artillery, and machine guns. Hours into the fight, the Ottomans gave up and gave another win to the British.

On the 9th of January 1917 the Battle of Rafa occurred and was the last battle to get the Ottomans out of the Sanai Peninsula in World War One. British Empire Forces increased by using railways and pipelines. The British, New Zealand, Australian and camel corps troops all surrounded the rivalries and later used the rifles to take the central fort making the Ottomans surrender again.

The first battle of Gaza was in March 1917. The British led Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) went forward after many wins in previous battles. Then the Anzacs came into the fight from the north in specific spots and key places were captured. When night came around after trying to get to the Ottomans reinforcements, they had to retreat making almost another victory  turn into a sad defeat. The second battle of Gaza was in April 1917 only one month apart. They reinforced Gaza with trenches, artilleries, and redoubts. The EEF had massive attacks, but their fortifications were too tough making the British loose again.

The Battle of Maghar was 4 days long between the 10 and the 14th of November in 1917. The ottoman army went north holding their ground between the hills and the coast. The British and XX1 corps attacked and got them along the wide front. On November 13th, infantry support charged at two villages while more north, the Ottomans were defeated again. When the Junction Station was captured, they cut the railway to Jerusalem making the armies go further north.

In the final year of WW1, the First Battle of Amman was held on March 1918. This war happened in Jordan and the British and Anzac forces tried to take the town but with very poor weather and strong Ottoman defences they were forced to retreat after multiple days of fighting.

Percy Leonard Ellsworth died on November 16th, 1951, at the age of 56. Before he died, Percy returned from his service and visited the hospital 5 months after WW1 ended for a check-up. When he returned home from his check-up he rested and took care of himself. Later on, in life before he passed away, he married Annie Elizabeth Payne and had 2 girls, Enid Mavis Ellsworth and Thelma Jean Ellsworth. They were both born in Ross Creek Victoria, Australia.

Bibliography:

Patch : 9 Light Horse Regiment, AIF.” Awm.gov.au, 2025, www.awm.gov.au/collection/C261480.

Corporate Name =Department of Veterans’ Affairs; address=21 Genge St, Civic/Canberra City. “Weapons Used by the Australian Army in World War I | Anzac Portal.” Anzacportal.dva.gov.au, Australian Government, 7 Nov. 2019, anzacportal.dva.gov.au/wars-and-missions/ww1/military-organisation/army-weapons.

“Details.” Adfa.edu.au, 2025, aif.adfa.edu.au/show Person?pid=91241. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025.

“Percy Leonard ELLSWORTH.” Vwma.org.au, 2025, vwma.org.au/explore/people/129122. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025.

“Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Mk III* .303 Inch Bolt Action Rifle and Bayonet, 1916 (C) | Online Collection | National Army Museum, London.” Nam.ac.uk, 2025, collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1963-12-251-61. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025.