DOUGLAS, Percy
Service Number: | 537 |
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Enlisted: | 26 August 1914, Enlisted at Kensington, NSW |
Last Rank: | Private |
Last Unit: | 3rd Infantry Battalion |
Born: | Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia, 30 June 1892 |
Home Town: | Bungendore, Palerang, New South Wales |
Schooling: | Mount Fairy, New South Wales, Australia |
Occupation: | Framing Contractor; Tram Conductor |
Died: | Killed in Action, Gallipoli, 19 May 1915, aged 22 years |
Cemetery: |
4th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery Row C, Grave 10 Headstone inscription reads: He died for King & Country |
Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bungendore WW1 Roll of Honour, Bungendore War Memorial, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Queanbeyan Presbyterian Parish Queanbeyan-Canberra Roll of Honour |
Biography contributed by Carol Foster
Grandson of Jessie McElroy of Bungendore, NSW
Son of James W. and Elizabeth Douglas
Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal. Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Greg Keir
Son of Mary McElroy
Biography contributed by Greg Keir
Born Percy McElroy, however as his mother Mary McElroy was not married, surname changed to Douglas. He was adopted by his grandmother Janet (Jessie) McElroy and raised on family property in the Sandhills Mount Fairy NSW - near Bungendore. Mary McElroy married William Steeper and they had 6 children. All raised with Percy on the family property.
Douglas is a McElroy family surname.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Percy DOUGLAS (Service Number 537) was born on 30th June 1892 at Woollahra, Sydney. Although he was employed as a tram conductor at the time of his joining the AIF in August 1914, he described himself as a ‘framing contractor’ on his enlistment papers. He had worked for the Tramway Traffic Branch only since the beginning of the year.
He dies at Gallipoli on 18th June 1915.
His grandmother, Mrs J. McElroy of Bungendore was his next of kin. She dealt with the military authorities regarding the inscription on his headstone in the 4th Battalion Parade Ground Cemetery, Gallipoli.
Jessie McElroy wrote, in 1922:
‘You will see I have not filled in the form you sent me Re-Late Percy Douglas. I am a very aged lady & unable to go to much expense with regards to an inscription & as it may run in pretty expensive & my means are very small & do not see my way clear to go to much expense. Please let me know if I sent you a few shillings to help defray some of the expense in some way would it be acceptable.’
The suggested cost of the inscription, upon a headstone which would be provided at government expense, was a maximum of 17/-. Eventually Jessie accepted the words ‘He died for King & Country’ and this cost her 9/2.
- based on notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board