DURHAM, Percy Neil
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 23 February 1916, Instructional Staff Melbourne, Sgt Major 3rd Batt Northumberland Fusiliers Imperial Army. |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) |
| Born: | Dum Dum India, 26 June 1875 |
| Home Town: | Prahran, Stonnington, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Le Martinere College, Lucknow, India |
| Occupation: | Soldier Permanent Forces |
| Died: | Tuberculosis, 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England, 22 April 1917, aged 41 years |
| Cemetery: |
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Pirbright, Surrey, England, United Kingdom Plot XI, Row F, Grave No. 14 |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 23 Feb 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Second Lieutenant, 37th Infantry Battalion, Instructional Staff Melbourne, Sgt Major 3rd Batt Northumberland Fusiliers Imperial Army. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jul 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 37th Infantry Battalion | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Involvement 37th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '17' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: RMS Orontes embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 16 Aug 1916: | Embarked 37th Infantry Battalion, RMS Orontes, Melbourne | |
| 9 Nov 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
| 22 Apr 1917: | Involvement Lieutenant, 51st Infantry Battalion (WW1), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: awm_unit: 51 Battalion awm_rank: Lieutenant awm_died_date: 1917-04-22 |
Help us honour Percy Neil Durham's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland
Died on this date – 22nd April.... Percy Neil Durham was born at Dum Dum, Bengal, India in 1874**
[**Note – There is some discrepancy about the place & date of birth of Percy Neil Durham. According to information supplied by his widow for the Roll of Honour Percy Neil Durham was born at Meerut, India. Also Percy Durham listed his date of birth as 26th June, 1875 when he made an Application for a Commission in the Australian Imperial Force on 17th January, 1916. In another Application for Commission dated 31st January, 1916 – Percy Neil Durham stated his date of birth as 25th June, 1876.]
Percy Durham’s father died in 1890 at Meerut, India & his mother died in 1906 at Simla, Bengal, India.
Percy Neil Durham married Christian Chalmers McHardy in 1907 in the registration district of Gravesend, Kent, England. They had a son – Neil Durham, born in 1910 & a daughter – Noreen Durham, born 1917 at Prahran, Victoria.
Percy Durham’s widow stated from information provided for the Roll of Honour that he had the Queen Victoria & Queen Edward’s South African War Medals & the Good Conduct Medal of the Imperial Army. She stated he has been Instructional Staff Melbourne & Sergeant Major with 3rd Battalion, Northumberland Fusiliers, Imperial Army.
Percy Neil Durham made an application for a Commission in the Australian Imperial Force on 16th January, 1916. He stated he was aged 40 years & 7 months, married & had completed 21 years with Imperial Army & 1 year & 5 months as Instructional Staff C.M.F.
Percy Neil Durham was a 40 year old, married, Soldier in Permanent Forces from 409 Punt Road, Prahran, Victoria when was appointed 2nd Lieutenant in Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 23rd February, 1916.
Second Lieutenant Percy Neil Durham was promoted to Lieutenant with effect from 1st July, 1916.
Lieutenant Percy Neil Durham embarked from Melbourne, Victoria on RMS Orontes on 16th August, 1916 with the 10th Infantry Brigade, 37th Infantry Battalion, 2nd Reinforcements & disembarked at Plymouth, England on 2nd October, 1916.
Lieutenant Durham proceeded to France on 21st October, 1916 from England. He was transferred from 37th Battalion to 51st Battalion on 9th November, 1916.
Lieutenant Durham was admitted to Field Ambulance on 4th February, 1917 then transferred to Casualty Clearing Station with Mumps. He was admitted to 2nd British Red Cross Hospital at Rouen, France on 23rd February, 1917 with Pulmonary T.B. slight. He was diagnosed with Tubercle of Lung & was transferred to Havre on 8th March, 1917 on No. 21 Ambulance Train. Lieutenant Durham embarked for England on Hospital Ship Formosa on 9th March, 1917.
Lieutenant Durham was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London on 9th March, 1917 with Pulmonary Tuberculosis & was reported to be dangerously ill.
Lieutenant Percy Neil Durham died at 9 am on 22nd April, 1917 at 3rd London General Hospital, Wandsworth, London, England from Tubercle of Lung. He was buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England where around 360 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/d---e.html
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