Percival James CAMERON

CAMERON, Percival James

Service Numbers: 934, 937
Enlisted: 14 January 1915, Perth, Western Australia
Last Rank: Trooper
Last Unit: 10th Light Horse Regiment
Born: Quorn, South Australia, 23 February 1883
Home Town: Wickepin, Wickepin, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Farmer
Died: Killed in Action, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 7 August 1915, aged 32 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey
Memorials: Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Wickepin District Roll of Honor, Wickepin District Roll of Honour WWI, Wickepin Fallen Soldiers Memorial
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World War 1 Service

14 Jan 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Perth, Western Australia
15 Jan 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 934, 10th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1
26 Apr 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 937, 10th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '3' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: ''
26 Apr 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 937, 10th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Hororata, Fremantle
6 Aug 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 937, 10th Light Horse Regiment, The August Offensive - Lone Pine, Suvla Bay, Sari Bair, The Nek and Hill 60 - Gallipoli

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Biography contributed by Allen Hancock

Percival James Cameron was born in Quorn, South Australia on 23 February 1883, the sixth of thirteen children of Robert Cameron and Agnes McIntosh both originally from Perthshire in Scotland. His grandfather, Robert Cameron senior, was the owner of Cameron's Iron Works, Foundry, and Agricultural Implement Factory located in Kapunda, South Australia and he was also elected Mayor of Kapunda from 1881 to 1882. Robert Cameron junior managed a branch of the factory located in Quorn.

When Robert Cameron senior died on 28 February 1893 Robert junior moved his family to Kapunda and assumed control of the company. The financial crisis of 1893 saw the factory closed and the Camerons returned to Quorn before finally relocating to scrubland near Mount Compass where they farmed until about 1913 before moving to Victor Harbour.

In 1906 Percival left South Australia to make a home for himself in Western Australia, arriving in Albany on the SS Burrumbeet on 16 May[1]. By taking contracts in the back blocks for clearing he acquired enough to start farming for himself in the Pingelly-Narogin area. [2] [3] [4]


“Unfortunately, he struck the drought, but having an indomitable spirit he won through, and had just gathered a good harvest when war was proclaimed. Being a single man, he felt it his duty to enlist, and joined the 10th Australian Light Horse, 3rd Brigade, going into camp at Black Boy Hill. Owing to his thorough knowledge of horses he was selected to purchase them in Western Australia, and this robbed him of his long leave, which he particularly wished to enjoy, so that he might be enabled to bid his parents farewell, it being eight years since he had seen them. After proceeding to Egypt the brigade to which he was attached, desirous of active service, volunteered as infantry, and the results of the charges in which they participated and paid the full price will never be forgotten by those who read the glowing accounts recorded of their self-sacrificing heroism.” [5]


On 18 July 1915 Percival arrived on Gallipoli with the 10th Light Horse reinforcements and settled into the routine of the trenches at Walkers Gully. The unit’s war diary describes the situation at the time to be under severe sniping from the Turks with sickness prevalent among the men. On the day Percival arrived an enemy aeroplane dropped several bombs on the position however only one was reported to have exploded.

In a letter to his family, by then having moved from Mount Compass to Victor Harbour, Percival wrote in less grim terms:


“Have been in the trenches a fortnight. We left Egypt for Lemnos Island where there is a beautiful natural harbour – transferred to a destroyer, then on a barge to land. Have seen the place where the Australians landed and consider it a wonderful feat, and every man that stopped at home should raise his hat when ever meeting them. As you know, swank is out of my line. Hadn’t much idea what trench fighting was like until I got here. It is like a huge rabbit warren. Received parcel. Thanks. What I want most is chocolate, plenty of it, cigarettes, papers, papers, paper and envelopes. I am in good health and spirits and must say that the authorities look after the men well.  It is three months since the landing, and we are not far from the base. Tin dog and biscuits are the main items on the bill of fare. We have red-letter days occasionally when we get fresh meat and bread.” [6]


On 1 August the unit relocated to Russell’s Top where they received orders to assault the Nek on the morning of the 7th in conjunction with the 8th Light Horse. The assault was to take place in four lines of about 150 men in each. The 8th Light Horse was to have the first and second lines and the 10th Light Horse the third and fourth lines. The unit diary describes the men at the time to be “45% physically below their standard”.


“All ranks to arms at 4am as usual and in their positions preparatory to launching assault. The artillery were to smash enemy’s machine guns and trenches preparatory to our assault. This was not done. The destroyer opened fire in the direction of the Nek at 4am and continued to 4.30am, with apparently little effective result. Bombardment ceased at 4.30am and almost immediately and before the 1st line of ours had left our trenched, enemy rifle and machine gun fire opened on our parapets. 1st and 2nd lines, who were in the firing trenches, then sprang forward to the assault and were mown down. Before allowing the 3rd and 4th lines to assault position was discussed with Brigade HQ but the 10th Regiment were ordered to immediately carry out orders and push on and carry enemy’s trenches. Our 3rd line was then ordered to assault and was mown down in a similar manner, with the exception of those on our own left where were sheltering in some dead ground. Before launching the 4th line the position was again brought before Brigade HQ but again this line was ordered to carry out orders and the 4th line rose over parapets and assaulted, but with same result as the previous 3 lines. Major Love who followed this line then crawled along in front of position and eventually returned to secret sap and then proceeded to left of line, where some 80 to 100 of all ranks were lying, he crawled out and viewed the situation and had a conference with Major T J Todd DSO and Major McLaurin and decided that it was impossible for the men to move forward a yard and live with such a hail of well-aimed and distributed rifle and machine gun fire; so returned with Major Todd and placed position before Brigade HQ and then received orders to withdraw and support troops attacking up Monash Gully and later to again withdraw and reorganise; which was carried out.” [7]


Percival Cameron was among those killed during this action, but his relatives were notified that he had been wounded on 17 August 1915. They were unable to ascertain any details. A Court of Inquiry on 23 August 1915 determined that he had in fact been killed but relatives did not learn of this until 23 September when details were published in newspapers. Official notification that Percival Cameron had in fact been killed in action on 7 August 1915 was not sent until 12 October. He is buried at the Lone Pine Cemetery, Gallipoli.



[1] SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. (1906, May 19). The Albany Advertiser (WA : 1897 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article69946433
[2] Sad Fatality at Dorakin. (1908, November 27). Great Southern Leader (Pingelly, WA : 1907 - 1934), p. 4 (PINGELLY EDITION). Retrieved October 17, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article157051264
[3] Sad Fatality at Wickepin. (1910, June 24). Great Southern Leader (Pingelly, WA : 1907 - 1934), p. 2. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article157056330
[4] Fearful Bush Tragedy. (1910, June 25). The Narrogin Observer and Williams District Representative (WA : 1905 - 1930), p. 5. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article209168401 
[5] PTE. P. J. CAMERON. (1915, October 8). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), p. 6. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59617332
[6] LETTERS FROM “OUR BOYS.” (1915, September 24). The Victor Harbor Times and Encounter Bay and Lower Murray Pilot (SA : 1912 - 1930), p. 3. Retrieved October 19, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162554854
[7] 10th Australian Light Horse Regiment unit war diary, August-September 1915. Australian War Memorial. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1355446

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Biography

Son of Robert and Sarah Ann Cameron, of Military Rd., Henley Beach, South Australia. 

Killed in Action at The Nek

"PRIVATE P. J. CAMERON. Quorn, October 11.

Private P. J. Cameron, who was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 7, was born at Quorn, and the older residents remember him as a little boy. His father (Mr. Robert Cameron) carried on a business as a machinist, blacksmith, &c, and was a member of the firm of R. Cameron and Sons, of Kapunda, Quorn, and other places. Mr. R. Cameron, sen., the dead soldier's grandfather, was the principal of the firm." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 16 Oct 1915 (nla.gov.au)

"THE LATE PRIVATE P. J. CAMERON.
Victor Harbor, October 6.
Mr. R. Cameron has received official information that his son, Private P. J. Cameron, was killed in action at Gallipoli on August 7. Private Cameron was born in Quorn in 1883, and received his education in that town. He was of fine physique, and excelled as a footballer, being much sought after by the various clubs with which he was associated.

When his parents left the north for Mount Compass, where they had taken up scrub land, he accompanied them and helped to turn it into a profitable investment. With a view to making a home for himself he went to Western Australia, and by taking contracts in the back blocks for clearing he acquired enough to start farming.

Unfortunately he struck the drought, but having an indomitable spirit he won through, and had just gathered a good harvest when war was proclaimed. Being a single man he felt it his duty to enlist, and joined the 10th A.L.H., 3rd Brigade, going into camp at Black Boy Hill.

Owing to his thorough knowledge of horses he was selected to purchase them in Western Australia, and this robbed him of his long leave, which he particularly wished to enjoy, so that he might be enabled to bid his parents farewell, it being eight years since be had seen them.

After proceeding to Egypt the brigade to which he was attached, desirous of active service, volunteered as infantry, and the results of the charges in which they participated and paid the full price will never be forgotten by those who read the glowing accounts recorded of their self-sacrificing heroism."

1915 'BIOGRAPHICAL PARTICULARS', Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), 9 October, p. 38. , viewed 01 May 2016,  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article87237569 (nla.gov.au)

 

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