SMITH, Percival Thorne
| Service Number: | 346 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Laura, South Australia , 5 August 1893 |
| Home Town: | Laura, Northern Areas, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Laura Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Gallipoli, Gallipoli, Dardanelles, Turkey, 6 June 1915, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli Peninsula, Canakkale Province, Turkey |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Laura Methodist Church Roll of Honour, Laura Primary School Memorial Plaques, Laura Public School Roll of Honour, Laura War Memorial, Lone Pine Memorial to the Missing |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 346, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Port Lincoln embarkation_ship_number: A17 public_note: '' | |
| 22 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 346, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Port Lincoln, Adelaide | |
| 6 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Trooper, 346, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 346 awm_unit: 3rd Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1915-06-06 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Al Staunton
Observer (Adelaide, SA: 1905 - 1931), Saturday 17 July 1915, page 39
LATE PTE. P. T. SMITH.
LAURA, July 12.—On Sunday evening at the local Baptist Church a large and representative assemblage attended an in memoriam service in memory of the late Pte. Percy T. Smith, who died on June 6 from wounds received in action on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The Laura Brass Band, of which deceased was a member, was in attendance, and during the service played the "Dead March." Members of the Laura troop of the light horse, with which the deceased was also connected before enlistment, were present in uniform. The service was of a most impressive character, The Rev. E. B. Turner, in the course of a sermon, said their late friend and comrade, who was the eldest son of Mr. Uriah Smith and the late Mrs. Smith, was born at Laura on August 5, 1893. He had spent all his life in the district, and had become his father's right hand on the farm. On his twenty-first birthday he volunteered for active service with the Australian Expeditionary Forces, and became attached to the 3rd Light Horse Regiment. He was the first Laura resident to volunteer for the front. From childhood he attended the Baptist Sunday School, and had become a member of the men's class and church choir. He was possessed of the necessary qualifications for a soldier —a liking for a soldier's life, healthy, strong, a good horseman, and amenable to discipline. The many messages which he sent to those with whom he had been associated in the church, revealed his deep attachment to his duty. Upon his grave they desired to lay their tribute of gratitude, honour, and love.
http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164194829
Biography
"THE LATE PRIVATE P. T. SMITH
Private Percival Thorn Smith, who was killed in action at the Dardanelles on June 6, was the eldest son of Mr. Uriah Smith, of Laura. He enlisted on August 5, his 21st birthday, the day after Great Britain declared war. He had lived with his parents at Laura all his life, and was highly respected. He was a member of the Light Horse for three years." - from the Adelaide Chronicle 24 Jul 1915 (nla.gov.au)
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