CANDY, Percy Robert
| Service Number: | 810 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 February 1916, Enlisted at Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Stepney, South Australia, Australia, 28 December 1889 |
| Home Town: | Campbelltown, Campbelltown, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Port Adelaide and Marryatville Public Schools |
| Occupation: | Brickmaker |
| Died: | Illness - Bronchial Pneumonia, France, 30 October 1918, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension Plot V, Row A, Grave 6 Headstone inscription reads: His work was done to live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die, Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, Abbeville, Picardie, France |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Payneham District Council Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 810, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Enlisted at Adelaide | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement Private, 810, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked Private, 810, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 31 Jul 1917: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 810, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Bullet wound to the right foot | |
| 15 Oct 1918: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, In the field | |
| 30 Oct 1918: | Involvement Lance Corporal, 810, 43rd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 810 awm_unit: 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-10-30 |
Percy Robert Candy
Lance Corporal Percy Robert Candy, Reg; No 810, was born in Stepney, South Australia. He was the son of Robert Candy and Martha Candy, nee Reynolds, of Payneham South. His employment on enlistment was stated as Brick Manufacturer. A member of the 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion, he embarked from Adelaide on the 9th June 1916, on the HMAT Afric A19. On 31st July 1917 he was wounded in action, and admitted to field hospital with a bullet wound to the right foot. On 27th October 1918 he was promoted to Lance Corporal and again admitted to hospital with illness. He was diagnosed with Bronchial Pneumonia and died of that condition on the 30th October 1918. He is buried at Abbeville Community Cemetery, Abbeville, Picardie, France, Plot 5, Row A. Grave 6.
http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=3202340&S=11&N=61#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=3202340&T=P&S=25
Photo in the local paper. Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954) Saturday 23 November 1918 p 27
Submitted 28 March 2016 by Campbelltown Library Volunteers (Digital Diggers)
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Robert Candy and Martha (nee Reynolds) Candy of St. Peters SA; brother of Leonard Henry Candy, Blanch Grace Candy, Clive Gilleham Candy, Stanley Richard Candy. Stanley returned to Australia on the 5 April 1919 having served with the 4th Divisional Signs Company
23 October 1918 - to hospital with Influenza
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by St Ignatius' College
Percy Robert Candy was born on December 28, 1889, near the town of Stepney in South Australia, growing up with siblings, Leonard Henry Candy, Blanch Grace Candy, Clive Gillham Candy, and Stanley Richard Candy. He was 26 upon enlistment and he joined the 43rd Battalion. Prior to this, Percy worked as a brick manufacturer and received his education at Port Adelaide and Marryatville Public Schools. Percy never married and listed his father, Robert Candy of Payneham, South Australia, as his next of kin.
His departed for active service abroad on June 9, 1916, aboard the HMAT Afric from Outer Harbour, South Australia, arriving in Marseilles on July 20, 1916. On November 25, 1916, Percy proceeded overseas via Southampton and was thrust into the heart of the conflict. The Western Front, where he would spend most of his wartime service, was a brutal and unforgiving battleground.
In March 1917, he was detached to the 3rd Divisional School, where he likely received further training to improve his skills as a soldier. After completing his detachment, Percy re-joined the 43rd Battalion, ready to face the challenges of the front lines once again. However, on July 31, 1917, Percy was wounded in action, with a bullet wound to his right foot. The medical care available at the time was very limited compared to today's standards, and injuries like Percy's often led to long and painful recoveries.
Percy was first admitted to the 9th Field Ambulance, where he would have received some medical treatment. The field ambulances were important in providing immediate care to injured soldiers and prepare them for further treatment. On August 4, 1917, he was admitted to a Divisional Rest Station. These rest stations served as intermediate medical facilities, providing a higher level of care than field ambulances. Here, Percy's bullet wound would have been further assessed, and he would have undergone treatment to help his recovery.
Shortly after recovering from his wound Percy re-joined the 43rd Battalion on August 11, 1917. He was granted a brief reprieve when he went to England on leave on September 20, 1917. Returning to the front lines on October 2, 1917, Percy resumed his duties with the 43rd Battalion. The following year, on February 2, 1918, he was dispatched to Brigade Headquarters, possibly taking on administrative or support roles. However, he once again went back to England on March 21, 1918, for an unknown reason. On March 24, 1918, Percy re-joined the 43rd Battalion, to fight on the Western Front.
Percy was promoted to Lance Corporal on the October 15, 1918, unfortunately only to be soon admitted to the hospital once more, this time suffering from a much more serious illness. Considering the limited medical knowledge at the time, his condition deteriorated, and on October 30, 1918, Percy Robert Candy died at age 28 to bronchial pneumonia at the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France. He was laid to rest in the Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension.