HOCKEY, Cecil Percy
| Service Number: | 681 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 28 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia , 6 June 1889 |
| Home Town: | Goulburn, Goulburn Mulwaree, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Cleveland Street Public School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Tram Driver |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 6 August 1916, aged 27 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Remembered on Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Boomi Roll of Honour, Boomi and District Public Honour Roll, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Moree ANZAC Centenary Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 28 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 681, 4th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 681, 4th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '8' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 681, 4th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 681, 4th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 6 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 681, 4th Pioneer Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 681 awm_unit: 4th Australian Pioneer Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-06 |
Help us honour Cecil Percy Hockey's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Rod Hutchings
Cecil Percy born 4th June 1889 Bourke Street Goulburn NSW. His occupation was a Tram Driver. He enlisted in the Army WW1 on the 28th August 1914 Private No 681 4th Battalion served in Gallipoli from landing to evacuation. then sent to France where he was killed by artillary fire (Pozeries) on the 6 August 1916.
Some 85 years later a small boy in France was digging a veggie patch and came across Cecil Pery's dog tag's. And with the help of the War Historian's the dog tags were returned to us his family. It felt wonderful and gave closure...
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Cecil Percy HOCKEY was born on 4th June 1889 at Goulburn, NSW. For his schooling he attended Cleveland Street Public School in Sydney. On 1st June 1907 he joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways as a junior tramcar cleaner in the Tramways Traffic Branch in Sydney. On 22nd June 1910 he became a tram conductor. On 28th August 1914 he was released from duty to join the Expeditionary Forces.
He joined the AIF on the same day with the rank of Private (Service Number 681). He was assigned to the 4th Infantry Battalion. He nominated his brother, H R Hockey of Goulburn as his next of kin but, after his brother moved to Annandale in Sydney in October 1915, the Army changed Cecil’s next of kin to his father, H E Hockey of Euraba via Garah, NSW, at his brother’s request.
Cecil embarked with his unit for Egypt aboard HMAT A14 ‘Euripides’ at Sydney on 20th October 1914. After a brief stop in Albany, WA, the Battalion arrived in Egypt on 2nd December 1914. It stayed in Egypt until the beginning of April 1915.
Cecil’s record shows that he embarked at Alexandria for the Gallipoli campaign on 5th April 1915. The Battalion took part in the Anzac landings on 25th April 1915, as part of the second and third waves. His record shows that on 30th May 1915, while at Gallipoli, he reported sick, suffering from debility (shell shock). He was evacuated firstly to Egypt, where he arrived at Alexandria on 13th June 1916, before being sent to Malta for further treatment in July 1915.
Cecil was discharged from hospital in Malta as fit for duty on 22nd November 1915 and returned to Egypt before being sent back to Gallipoli via Mudros (on the Greek island of Lemnos). He re-joined his unit at Gallipoli on 7th December 1915, which was not long before the general evacuation of Gallipoli later that month.
He reached Egypt once more on 29th December 1915. While there he developed illness. He came down with Influenza in early January 1916 but by mid-January his illness had changed to enterica, which kept him either in hospital or convalescing until 10th April 1916. After discharge to duty and a period of training, he was transferred to the 4th Pioneer Battalion, which he joined on 18 May 1916.
On 4th June 1916 he left Egypt for France
He was killed in action at Pozières on 6th August 1916.. Subsequently, his grave site could not be located, despite strenuous efforts, and he is commemorated at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, Picardie, France. The Australian War Memorial gives his place of association as Sydney.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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