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War Memorial
Australia

Percy was the son of George SKELLEY & Mary Anne GILLMAN and was born in 1890 in Langham Place, Portland Estate, SA.

His parents were married in 1878 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.

His father was the son of Joseph SKELLEY & Jane JENKINSON and was born in 1858 in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.
His mother was the daughter of John GILLMAN & Margaret TWEEDLE and was born in 1855 Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.

Percy was the youngest child born into this family of 7 children.

Percy’s eldest siblings had been born in Whitehaven, Cumberland, England.

It is not known when his father arrived in South Australia, but his mother and 2 elder bothers, Fearon & George, arrived in South Australia on board the Ashmore on the 2nd of October 1884.

His father was a lumper (wharf labourer) and the family made their home in Langham Place, Portland.

Percy was not even 12 months old when his father deserted the family on the 14th of February 1891.
He was arrested the following month and then returned to his family.

On the 4th of February 1896 his father suffered from Trachoma Pennies and was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital, where he underwent treatment for the next 8 months before being discharged on the 12th of October.

After Percy had completed his education in Pt Adelaide he gained employment as a labourer.

Percy met Miss Adeleina Myrtle Victoria GODFREY and they welcomed their first child; Percy George, on the 7th of December 1912.

Percy and Adeleina then married on the 21st of December 1912 at the residence of Reverend M.L Murphy, Alberton, SA.
Adeleina was the daughter of Benjamin GODFREY & Clara Ellen Southwell MANNING and was born on the 16th of November 1892 in Rosewater, SA.

After they married they lived with her parents at Margaret Terrace, Rosewater.

At the age of 24, Percy enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 27th of January 1915 in Keswick and was posted to the F Company, Infantry Base Depot, in Oaklands Camp.
Percy was discharged from the AIF 7 days later on the 3rd of February.

Seven months later, now aged 25, Percy enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 24th of September 1915 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3900 and posted to the E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.

He was transferred to D Company and then on the 1st of November he was posted to the 1st Depot Battalion in Morphetville Camp.
On the 2nd of December he was transferred to the 27th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements.

Percy embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Miltiades on the 7th of February 1916, disembarked in Port Suez on the 11th of March 1916 and marched into the 7th Training Battalion in Heliopolis.

On the 2nd of April Percy was transferred to the newly raised 50th Battalion in Serapeum.
On the 5th of June he proceeded to France from Alexandria, disembarking in Marseilles 7 days later.

On the 15th of June 1916, whilst Percy was in France, Adeleina gave birth to their daughter; Clara Adeleina.

Percy served in France until the end of the war and was granted early repatriation back to Australia and on the 26th of January 1919.
He embarked for England the following day and marched into the Overseas Training Brigade.

Percy embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HT Armagh and disembarked in Adelaide on the 16th of May.

He was discharged from the AIF on the 30th of June 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.

He returned home to Adeleina and met his little daughter for the first time.

The following year, on the 10th of October 1920, Adeleina was admitted into the Adelaide Hospital suffering from Peritonitis Empyema following an abortion.

Adeleina never recovered and died on the 30th of November 1920 in the Adelaide Hospital.
Percy buried her 2 days later in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section N, Drive C, Path 27, Site Number 149N.

Percy was left alone to raise his little children.

Percy then married Muriel Nellie DISCOMBE on the 23rd of June 1923 in the Methodist Church, Woodville, SA.
Muriel was the daughter of William Thomas DISCOMBE & Mary Ellen JENKINSON and was born on the 25th of June 1902 in Woodside, SA.

They made their home, with his parents, at Langham Place, Portland and welcomed their first child; Gladys Marie in the same year.

Percy gained employment with the Postal Department as a telegraph linesman and Donald Thomas Gilbert, was then born on the 5th of December 1924.

A few weeks later, on Tuesday the 30th of December 1924, Percy was working with a gang on telegraph poles at the western end of St Vincent Street, Pt Adelaide.
He was at the top of one of the poles, standing on a cross arm, when he suddenly fell.
He struck the lines below and crashed to the pavement some 25 feet below.

He was admitted into the Pt Adelaide Casualty Hospital at 3pm suffering from a fractured skull and ribs.

Percy’s injuries were so severe he died 6 hours later at 9pm.

Muriel buried him 2 days later in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section I, Drive C, Path 11, Site Number 369N.

SKELLEY — The FRIENDS of the late PERCY EDDIE SKELLEY are respectfully informed that his Remains will be removed from the residence of his Brother Mr. William James Skelley, Berkley Street, Cheltenham, on THURSDAY, at 11am, for interment in the Cheltenham Cemetery.
J. C. HADDY & SON. Undertakers, St. Vincent Street, Port Adelaide.

After Percy’s death Muriel married William James SKELLEY on the 17th of June 1937 in Adelaide.
William was Percy’s older brother who was widowed on the 8th of May 1929 when his wife died, leaving him with 5 children under the age of 16 to raise alone.
They lived at 15 Berkley Street, Cheltenham and raised Percy’s children.

Military

At the age of 25, Percy enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 24th of September 1915 in Adelaide and allotted the service number 3900 and posted to the E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion in Exhibition Camp.
He listed his wife, of Margaret Terrace, Rosewater, as his next of kin.

On the 16th of October he was transferred to D Company and then on the 1st of November he was posted to the 1st Depot Battalion in Morphetville Camp.
On the 2nd of December he was transferred to the 27th Battalion, 9th Reinforcements.

Percy embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT Miltiades on the 7th of February 1916, disembarked in Port Suez on the 11th of March 1916 and marched into the 7th Training Battalion in Heliopolis.

On the 2nd of April Percy was transferred to the newly raised 50th Battalion in Serapeum.
The 50th Battalion was raised in Egypt on the 26th of February as part of the "doubling" of the AIF. Approximately half of its recruits were veterans from the 10th Battalion and the other half were fresh reinforcements from Australia. Reflecting the composition of the 10th, the 50th was predominantly composed of men from South Australia. The battalion became part of the 13th Brigade of the 4th Australian Division and was dubbed "Hurcombe's Hungry Half Hundred", after its first CO, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Hurcombe.

On the 30th of April Percy went AWOL for 8 hours and was forfeited 1 days pay.

On the 5th of June they proceeded to France from Alexandria on board HMT Arcadian, disembarking in Marseilles 7 days later.

Back in Australia Adeleina gave birth to their daughter; Clara Adeleina, on the 15th of June 1916.

By the 1st of July they had moved to Fleurbaix and into the front line and after 10 days in the trenched they marched out to Bailleul then onto Heissart.
On the 1st of August they began their move to Brickfields for their first Battle.
They fought in their first major Battle at Mouquet Farm between the 13th and 15th of August and suffered heavy casualties.

They then took part in another assault launched there on the 3rd of September and then spent the remainder of September and early October at Dickebusch with fatigue duty.
On the 8th of October Percy fell out of a march and was awarded 1 day Field Punishment No.2.

The Battalion saw out the rest of the year alternating between front-line duty and training and labouring behind the line in and around Fricourt.
By the 24th of November they had moved to Benafay Wood into training before entraining and marching to Buire on the 6th of December, for further training.

On the 18th of December they entrained to St Vaast, where they spent Christmas 1916, before marching 8 miles to Cardonette on the 3rd of January 1917.
The following day they march to Buire and then on the 6th they marched to Fricourt and onto Bezantin and into the front line trenches.
They were relieved on the 27th of January and moved to Perth Camp, at Bernafay and after 3 weeks here they relieved the 51st Battalion in the front line.
Ten days later, they moved to Bazentin and then onto Buire for further training and reorganisation.

On the 22nd of March they moved to Mametz Camp before they took over the front line south of Noreuil.
They then participated in the advance that followed the German retreat to the Hindenburg Line and attacked at Noreuil on the 2nd of April.

Later that year, the focus of AIF operations moved to the Ypres sector in Belgium. There the battalion was involved in the battle of Messines between the 7th and 12th of June 1917 and the battle of Polygon Wood on the 26th of September.

They then moved into Halifax Camp, near Dickebusch and then onto Steenvorde. On the 10th of October they marched to Abeele, entrained to Ypres and moved into the front line at Broodseinde Ridge.
After 12 days they marched to Cornwall Camp, near Ouderdom for 5 days before entraining to Brandhoek and marching to billets in Lugy.

November was spent in training and at billets in Laires, Ruisseauville, Wambercourt, Tortefontaine, Fontaine-sur-Maye, Hautvillers, Franleu before reaching Meneslies at the end of November.

They then moved onto Moislains where they spent Christmas 1917 before they moved Peronne, entrained to Bailleul and marched to Strazeele. From Strazeele they entrained to Elzenwalle and marched into Tournai Camp.
They then entrained at Gordon and detrained at Manor Farm and relieved the 47th Battalion in the front line.

By the end of January 1918 they were at Ridgewood Camp and then spent the early part of March in Kemmel Shelters before moving to the Lillers area.
By this time the German Army had launched a major offensive on the Western Front and the 4th Division was deployed to defend positions south of the River Ancre in France.
On the 5th of April Percy and his Battalion where at Dernancourt and they assisted in the repulse of the largest German attack mounted against Australian troops during the war. The German threat persisted through April, and on ANZAC Day 1918 the 50th Battalion participated in the now- legendary attack to dislodge the enemy from Villers-Bretonneux.

On the 1st of June they marched into the front line at Daours and relieved the 31st Battalion.
Whilst here, on the 10th of June, Percy injured his left Patella and was admitted into the 4th Australian Field Ambulance.
Six days later he was transferred to the 5th Casualty Clearing Station at Picquigny and after 2 days here he rejoined his Battalion on the 18th in the dugouts near Daours.

By the 1st of August they had moved to Gentelles Wood into the support line and then continued to play an active role during the Allies' own offensive, launched on the 8th of August 1918.
On the same day Percy was granted 2 weeks leave to England and then rejoined his Battalion, who was on the reserve line near Harbonnieres.
The following week they moved into billets at Rivery for rest and refitting.

They left their billets on the 6th of September for the front line at Beaumetz and then Soyecourt.
On the 11th of September they relieved the 29th Battalion, just east of Vendelles.
Early in the morning of the 13th of September they attacked the enemy’s position and during this advance Percy’s platoon lost touch with the other platoons as they were following the retreating enemy.
They advanced right through the wood before they realised the danger of being cut off from the other platoons by the enemy and had to fight their way back through the wood.

Their last major operation of the war was the attack on the Hindenburg "outpost line" on the 18th of September, during which they composed part of the 4th Division's reserve.

They then moved to Ferrieres in October where they were billeted, rested and trained.

On the 10th of November they were entrained for Brancourt and en route, whilst stopped at St. Quentin, they received the news of the Armistice.

By the 13th they had reached Brancourt and then marched into Fresnoy-le-Grand on the 15th.
They then moved through St. Souplet, Favril, Le Petit-Fayt, Sains-du-Nord and had arrived at Sivry by the end of November.
In mid December they moved to Dinant and this is where they spent their last Christmas Day away from family and friends in a foreign land.

Percy was then granted early repatriation back to Australia and on the 26th of January 1919 he marched out for return to England.
He embarked for England the following day and marched into the Overseas Training Brigade.

Percy embarked from England on the 5th of April 1919 on board HT Armagh and disembarked in Adelaide on the 16th of May.

Percy was discharged from the AIF on the 30th of June 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.