Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Roger Arnold Percy was born on the 21st November 1893, at Charters Towers, Queensland, the youngest son of William and Elizabeth Percy.  He had 6 older brothers, Uriah, William, George, John, Richard, David and one younger sister, Alice.

Roger attended the Charters Towers Central School until the end of 1902.  In July that year the family was plunged into grief with the loss of Roger’s oldest brother Uriah aged 25.  In January the following year William Percy moved to Sydney with his sons Richard aged 15 and Roger aged 9 so they could continue their schooling at Newington College in Sydney NSW, a boarding school for boys of all faiths and denominations.  In 1907 Roger won a scholarship to Townsville Grammar School so he and his father returned to Queensland.  In July that year Roger was part of a group of students who performed in the play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in the presence of the Queensland Governor, Lord Chelmsford. 

In July 1908, almost to the day 6 years after Uriah died, the family was once again plunged into grief with the passing of their father William aged 64 at Charters Towers.  Sadly, this would not be the end of their grieving…just 2 years later in 1910, John, another of Roger’s brothers died, also aged 25.  This poor family had suffered the loss of 3 family members in 8 years and with the war being just around the corner, this was still not to be the end of their suffering.

In 1911 and 1912 Roger was head prefect at the Townsville Grammar School and went on to matriculate with distinctions in 4 subjects.  In 1913 he won a scholarship to the Queensland University to study engineering for 3 years.  In March that year when King’s College, at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, opened its doors to take on its first resident students, he was one of them.  He played football and cricket for both the University and King’s College with the latter football team becoming the winners of the first University Inter-College contest in 1913.  Two other resident students at King’s College who were also studying engineering at the University with Roger and members of the King’s College football team with him, were Alister Grimes (SN 8669) and Leonard Foote (SN 573).

Throughout 1915 many of Roger’s fellow students from King’s College enlisted for the war….my grandfather, Cyril Morsley (SN 1707), was one of them.  His close friend and tutor from King’s College, Arthur Wheatley (SN 1706), enlisted on the same day as Cyril and both were posted to the 3rd Field Ambulance.  Cyril started writing a diary on the 3rd August 1915, the day he commenced training at the Enoggera Barracks.  Roger is mentioned in his diary along with several of the other King’s College students.  Another resident student of King’s College was James Hunter (SN 360) who had enlisted for the war in September 1914.  He had asked Roger to be one of the Executors of his will and sadly, Roger had to execute that duty when James was killed at Gallipoli on the 28th June 1915.

On the 21st September 1915, aged 21 years and 10 months, Roger enlisted for the war at Brisbane with the rank of Private and his service number being 8673.  His 27 year old brother Richard had enlisted 3 months earlier.  On Roger’s service records he was described as being 5ft 4ins tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair.  After completing his training at the Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, he was posted to the 7th Field Ambulance, 8th Reinforcements along with his friend Alister Grimes who had enlisted on the same day as Roger.  Together they embarked from Brisbane on the 3rd January 1916 on the ship “Kyarra”.        

Roger and Alister disembarked at Alexandria, Egypt, on the 9th February and proceeded to the Zeitoun Camp.  A month later they joined the 1st Division Miscellaneous Reinforcements at Ismailia transferring to the 1st Field Ambulance at Serapeum.  On the 23rd March they embarked from Alexandria on the ship “Simla”, disembarking a week later at Marseilles, France.  Three days later the ship “Simla” was torpedoed and sunk.

An entry in my grandfather’s 1916 diary states that a few days after arriving in France, he and Arthur Wheatley met up with Roger, Alister and Len Foote, all 5 from King’s College, at a YMCA meeting.

In July 1916 Roger was promoted to a mechanical transport driver then just 15 days later, his brother Richard was killed in action in France serving with the 1st Battalion.  He was buried at the VC Corner Cemetery, Fromelles, France and once again the family was in mourning.  A month later, another of Roger’s brothers, David, enlisted for the war aged 26.

Two days before Christmas Roger, along with Alister, was transferred to the 1st Australian Division Supply Column and attached to the 1st Field Ambulance for duty.  Three months later in March 1917 they were moved to the “K” Supply Column then in mid July they both took leave for a fortnight.  In late December Roger was detached from the 1st Field Ambulance for duty at the Australian Division HQ.  He rejoined the 1st Field Ambulance at the end of January 1918 and at the start of March he was granted 10 days leave to Paris, once again with his friend Alister.  Upon their return from leave they were both transferred to the 1st Australian Division Mechanical Transport Company.  On the 30th March, Roger’s brother David was wounded in action and evacuated to England.  In mid September 1918 Roger took 10 days leave to England where he no doubt caught up with his brother.  David recovered and was returned to France in early December.  Upon return from his leave Roger was attached to the 1st Field Ambulance for duty.

On the 1st February 1919, Roger rejoined the 1st Australian Division Mechanical Transport Company and the following day proceeded to the Australian General Base Depot.  Ten days later he proceeded to England for return to Australia.  After disembarking at Southampton he marched to the 1st Training Brigade Camp at Perkham Down, arriving there 2 days after Alister.  They spent the next 12 days together at the Camp before Alister was returned to Australia on the on the 25th February. Roger followed 3 days later embarking from Liverpool on the ship “Anchises” arriving in Brisbane on the 20th April 1919, 2 days after Alister and 5 days before Anzac Day.  He was discharged 6 weeks later on the 4th June, 2 days after Alister.

Upon his return to Australia Roger resumed his studies at the Queensland University, having decided not to continue with his engineering degree but rather deciding to go into the profession of teaching, feeling a call to be involved in the training of youth.  He resided at King’s College once again till on the 24th March 1921, 28 year old Roger married 26 year old Alice Daisy Brown, the daughter of the Rev William Brown who was the President of the Queensland Methodist Church Conference in 1917.  Roger graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and was appointed as the Science Master at the Toowoomba Grammar School in 1923.  The following year he gained his Bachelor of Arts degree.  Roger and Alice went on to have 2 children…a son, Roger William born 1924, and a daughter, Una Rosalind born 1930.

In 1926 Roger was appointed as the first Headmaster of the first purely Methodist Secondary School at Stanthorpe.  It was in Stanthorpe that he met up with my grandfather again who by this time had returned from the war, resumed his studies at King’s College, was ordained as a Methodist Minister and appointed to the Stanthorpe Methodist Church in March 1928.  Just 6 weeks later on the 2nd May the President-General of the Methodist Church of Australasia, Rev J G Wheen, visited Stanthorpe.  He was met at the train station by my grandfather and a party of others and in the afternoon he visited the Boys College where he was greeted and entertained by Roger and his wife Alice.  My grandmother was unable to attend having just given birth to my mother at the parsonage 13 days earlier.  In December that year at the Annual College Speech Day, the President of the College Council, Rev T R Thurlow, paid tribute to the work of Roger and his wife saying:

"Not only is Mr. Percy an able educationalist, but a man of sterling character. Parents who know Mr. and Mrs. Percy will not be afraid to trust their children to their care, knowing that they will be as well cared for as if they were at home."

A newspaper article in March 1932 states that my grandfather, Cyril, at the annual Stanthorpe Flower Show, presented Roger and Alice with a cheque on behalf of the circuit in recognition and appreciation of their loyalty during their time of residence in Stanthorpe.  They were now living at Corinda in Brisbane where they would remain for the next 40 years.

Roger and Alice attended several Annual Foundation Day Reunions at the Brisbane Grammar School between 1933 and 1938 where their son Roger attended school and he went on to become a doctor.

On the 24th March 1971 Roger and Alice celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, still living at the same house in Corinda.

On the 9th August 1972, Roger passed away aged 78.  He was cremated and his Memorial Plaque can be found at the Mt Thompson Memorial Gardens, Brisbane.  Alice lived another 10 years before passing away on the 25th October 1982 aged 87.  She shares the same Memorial Plaque with Roger.  Their son Roger died on Anzac Day 2001 aged 77 and their daughter Una died in 2015 aged 85.

Roger’s College and Uni friend and war companion, Alister Grimes, bought a cattle property in Proston, Queensland, after returning from the war and spent his life there as a grazier.  He married and had 6 children, 5 boys and 1 girl.  He died in Toowoomba on the 17th November 1964 aged 73.

Roger’s name appears on the WW1 Honour Boards at the two schools he attended, Newington College and Townsville Grammar School.  

An Honour Board at King’s College, Brisbane, bears the names of the 30 men from the College who served in WW1…Roger’s name is amongst them.  It was unveiled on the 25th March 1916 at which time 20 of the 23 students enrolled at the College had already enlisted.  Three of those 30 men made the supreme sacrifice with their lives - Arthur Wheatley was one of them.  

On the 11th August 1917 at Mowbray Park, East Brisbane, the earliest World War 1 Memorial in Brisbane was unveiled honouring all those who served in WW1.  The Memorial and the Park are now heritage listed.  The Memorial consists of a stone “Digger” statue, representing an Australian Light Horseman, sitting upon a stone pillar bearing a Roll of Honour of names and it is flanked by two cannons.  The inscription on the front of the Memorial reads “In Honour Of The Living & Glory Of The Dead” 1914 The Great War 1919.  Over 700 names are inscribed on it, amongst them are many of the thirty names from the King’s College Honour Board, including Roger’s.            

Roger Arnold Percy was awarded:

British War Medal    12108

Victory Medal           11949

Sue Smith October 2016