Percy George KNILL

Badge Number: S7779
S7779

KNILL, Percy George

Service Number: 2184
Enlisted: 8 March 1915
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: War Records Section
Born: Glenelg, South Australia, Australia , 23 November 1884
Home Town: Kirkcaldy, South Australia
Schooling: Nailsworth Public School, South Australia
Occupation: Compositor
Died: Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, 25 January 1971, aged 86 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials: Henley Beach Council WW1 Service Roll, Keswick Prospect Highbury Street Methodist Sunday School Old Scholars Roll of Honour, Keswick Prospect Methodist Sunday School Honour Board WW1, Prospect Methodist Sunday School Honour Roll
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World War 1 Service

8 Mar 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 2184, 10th Infantry Battalion
23 Jun 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2184, 10th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '10' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: ''
23 Jun 1915: Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 2184, 10th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Borda, Adelaide
14 Aug 1915: Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 2184, 10th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli
16 Mar 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, War Records Section
24 May 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, War Records Section

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Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College

Percy George Knill was born on 23 of November 1884 at Glenelg. His mother was called Katherine Knill, and  he lived at Anthony Street Kirkcaldy. His job before the war was a compositor. As a compositor he would have inserted letters on to a frame or art. Percy was in the army reserve for 3 years in the second battalion. Part of this he would have learnt how to fire a gun, march and learn how to wear and use their uniform.  Percy had two brothers that fought in world war one William Grosvenor Knill he was in the 9th Light Horse and returned to Australia 7th of June 1915. His other brother Sergeant Robert Stanley Knill who was in the 27th battalion he died of wounds on the 2nd of September 1918.     

Percy enlisted at Keswick on the 8th March 1915. When he enlisted, he was ranked as a private but was promoted to corporal on 24 May 1916. He was also assigned to temporary Sergeant on the 1st October 1915 and again on the 1st of January 1917. Percy left Adelaide on the on 23 June 1915 abroad HMAT A30 Borda. Percy was not hurt during battle but was sick on many occasions during the war. The sickness Percy had of diarrhoea rheumatism which can causes swelling, pain, stiffness, and redness. He was in hospital from the 29/9/1915 with diarrhoea. On the 4/10/1915 he was in hospital with rheumatism and then again entered hospital for again from the 20/5/1916 to the. 27/5/1916. Percy survived the war and was discharged on the 18th of March 1920 which was two years after combat ended. The reason for this would have been that the amount of survives from the war was to great that there was not enough space on the ships. If you arrived in Gallipoli with the first batch, then you would have been sent home earlier then if you were part of a reinforcement group. After his illness on Gallipoli, Percy served out the rest of the war with the Record Section.

Percy arrived back in Australia 18 February 1920 and was discharged 18 May 1920. Percy continued to be a compositor when he arrived back in Australia. He moved to Melbourne where he sadly lost his life on the 25th of January 1971 in Heidelberg, Vic. The ANZAC spirit that Percy showed would be leadership skills because the amount of times he was promoted. He was also determined to win the battle for Australia because he fought in some of the most brutal battles.

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