Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"...1205 Private Percy Michael Anderson, 32nd Battalion. A hod carrier from Osborne Park, Western Australia, prior to enlistment, he embarked from Adelaide aboard HMAT Geelong on 18 November 1915 for Suez. His battalion relocated to the Western Front, France, during June 1916. Pte Anderson was reported wounded and missing in action on 20 July 1916 after the Battle of Fromelles. Subsequently, he was determined to have been killed in action on that date. He was aged 24 years. Pte Anderson has no known grave and is commemorated on the VC Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, Fromelles, France." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)

Percy Michael Anderson was born in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1891, he was one of eight siblings to parents William and Annie Anderson (nee Griffin) who married in Fremantle in 1888. Percy was the second oldest sibling, with five brothers and two sisters. Percy attended at the Christian Brothers College, Fremantle for his schooling.
 
In the year of 1892 Percy’s father was a printer publisher, journalist for the Liberty Newspaper in Market Street Fremantle. It appears that Percy’s parents have moved from Fremantle for several years as a younger brother, Sydney was born in Albany and one of his sisters Eva was born in Bunbury before returning to Fremantle where their youngest child, Dorothea was born in Fremantle in 1905.
 
Post office records indicates that Percy with his family moved to King William Road Osborne Park in 1908. Percy was employed as a hod carrier, which was labouring carrying supplies to bricklayers, stonemasons, or cement finishers.
 
In 1915 at Leederville Percy married a Sophia Alice Boness who had arrived in Fremantle from Essex England in October 1910. Percy and Sophia moved to Hector Street Osborne Park.
 
In July 1915 Percy enlisted into the A.I.F. at Blackboy Hill, Perth Western Australia. Two of Percy’s brothers also enlisted into the A.I.F., Alfred attached to 44th Infantry Battalion and Sydney attached to the Australian Army Medical Corp, 1st Field Ambulance. Both of Percy’s brothers return to Australia in 1919.
 
After completing training Percy embarked from Adelaide, South Australia in November 1915 aboard HMAT Geelong A2, attached to D Company with the 32nd Infantry Battalion. The battalion arrived in Egypt in December 1915, at the end of the Gallipoli campaign. Conducting further training at Tel el Kebir camp, before embarking to France in June 1916. Arriving in France, Percy with his battalion was sent to an area near Hazebrouck in northern France. Percy’s battalion which was a part of the Australian Fifth Division was preparing for an assault on the German trenches at Fromelles.

In July 1916, Percy with his battalion moved to their billets at Fleurbaix. The plan was the Australian Fifth Division which included the 8th Brigade battalions of the 31st and the 32nd were to be a part of an assault on the German trenches on the extreme left flank of the attack. The 31st and the 32nd battalions only had to cross 100 metres of no man’s land to reach the German trenches. The assault was to commence at 6pm on 19thJuly 1916.

Percy in D Company along with B Company were to form the third and fourth waves of the attack. A and C Companies of the 32nd Battalion were to form the first and second waves of the attack. Even before the attack commenced the Australians already suffered casualties from the German artillery but also from the inexperienced Australian artillery who lacked the skills to provide artillery cover for the battalions during the attack.

At 6pm the first and second waves attacked with the third wave moving into no mans land. By 6.30pm the fourth wave “went over” commencing their assault on the German trenches. The attack had reached the rear most trenches of the Germans first line system of defence by 6.30pm. Little progress could be made to consolidate this position that the Australians had reached due to the trench shallowness and the mud and slush in the bottom of the trench.

By 8.25pm a message was received from another trench that the Australians had captured, the left flank was subject to heavy bombardment with high explosive and shrapnel shells. Request for urgent reinforcements were made, however the reply was that the trenches were to be held at all costs. It was by 4.00am on the 20thJuly, the Germans had been reinforced, attacking the left flank pushing the Australians out of the communication trench they had captured. With mounting casualties from the artillery and German machine gun fire the men from the 31st and 32nd battalions against all odds were able to sustain the continued attack on the German trenches. With no follow up support by the Australians and continued German counter attacks they were forced to withdraw. By the morning of the 20th July 1916 the attack was over. Percy’s exact fate is unknown or even if he had reached the German trenches during the attack.

After the attack by the Australians the German soldiers removed the Australian casualties from their trenches, burying them in large pits near Pheasant Wood. The Australians who had reached the German trenches surviving the attack who were unable to retreat to their own trenches were taken prisoner by the Germans.

Initially Private Percy Anderson was reported as wounded and missing to his family. Some reports even stating that Percy had been seen wounded suffering with two wounds in the stomach at a dressing station.

From a Red Cross file, a Private Redmond from D Company states that he saw Percy in no man’s land at 8.30pm on the night of the attack hit by shrapnel and killed along with seven other men. It was by a Court of Inquiry on 25th August 1917, that Percy was pronounced killed in action on the 20th July 1916.

Percy has no known grave, and he is commemorated on VC Corner Australian Military Cemetery, Fromelles France. He was 25 years of age.

In 2011 his family dedicated a memorial plaque to Percy where it was placed in the honour avenue of May Drive Kings Park.