Percy Nielson JOHNSON

Percy Nielson JOHNSON Update Details

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JOHNSON, Percy Nielson

Service Number:	2711
Enlisted:	28 August 1915
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	20th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Eketāhuna, New Zealand, 1891
Home Town:	North Sydney, North Sydney, New South Wales
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Slater
Died:	Killed in action, France, 5 May 1916
Cemetery:	Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier Plot IV, Row C, Grave No. 25
Memorials:	East Killara North Sydney Technical High School WW1 Honour Board

World War 1 Service

28 Aug 1915:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2711, 20th Infantry Battalion
2 Nov 1915:	Involvement Private, 2711, 20th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: ''
2 Nov 1915:	Embarked Private, 2711, 20th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Euripides, Sydney

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Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks

Percy enlisted in August 1915 and gave his address as 36 Collin Street, North Sydney, New South Wales. He gave his place of birth as Eketahuna, New Zealand. His roll of honour form states he came to Australia when he about 12 years of age, in about 1904. In his service file is a statuary declaration signed by Percy that states a) he was a legally married man (living apart from his wife Emily Elizabeth Johnson) and he allots 3 shillings per day of his pay to her, b) that he leaves his child Olive Ida Johnson in the custody of his mother Mrs. Elizabeth Jesperson of 36 Collins Street, North Sydney, NSW. Mrs. Jesperson had also remarried in Australia, her first husband, Magnus Johnson, having passed away.

Percy arrived with the reinforcements for the 20th Battalion in Egypt in early February 1916. He arrived in France on 20 March 1917 and a fortnight later transferred to the 5th Trench Mortar Battery. It was only a few weeks later that he was killed in action in the ‘Nursery Sector’ the Australians were allocated near Armentieres.

Percy’s widow (who had remarried) and his child both received pensions.

Percy’s brother, 1047 Private Hector Johnson 45th Battalion AIF, would later die of wounds on 21 July 1917 age 28.

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