FORWOOD, Percy William
| Service Number: | Commissioned Officer |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 1 July 1924, Appointed to Royal Australian Naval Reserve |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant Commander |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Parramatta (II) |
| Born: | Woodville, South Australia, 22 January 1906 |
| Home Town: | Walkerville, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Woodville High School, Scotch College |
| Occupation: | Professional Naval Officer |
| Died: | Killed In Action, Mediterranean Sea, 27 November 1941, aged 35 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Fremantle HMAS Parramatta II Memorial, Naval Military and Air Force Club of SA Inc WW2 Honour Roll, Plymouth Naval Memorial to the Missing / Lost at Sea, St Clair Woodville High School Honour Roll, Woodville Saint Margaret's Church WW2 Honour Roll |
Non Warlike Service
| 1 Jul 1924: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Cadet Midshipman, Commissioned Officer, HMAS Torrens (Depot) / HMAS Encounter (Shore), Appointed to Royal Australian Naval Reserve |
|---|
World War 2 Service
| 18 Apr 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant, HMAS Penguin (IV) 1939-1940/HMAS Brisbane 1940-1942/HMAS Moreton (I) 1942-1994 (Depot) | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 May 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, HMAS Parramatta (II) | |
| 27 Nov 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Lieutenant Commander, HMAS Parramatta (II), Siege of Tobruk |
Help us honour Percy William Forwood's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Steve Larkins
Lieutenant Commander Percy William Forwood, RANR (1906-1941)
Lieutenant Commander Percy William Forwood, RANR, was the only son of Mr. Percy Herbert Forwood, and Mrs Mary Anne Forwood, of Woodville road, Woodville. The AWM lists an association with the settlement of Tepko in SA's Murraylands north of Murray Bridge although not substantiated by his DVA nominal roll listing.
He was born at Woodville, in Adelaide's Western suburbs, and while attending Woodville High School, won a scholarship to continue his studies at Scotch College.
He joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve at the age of 18 and was appointed a Midshipman on 1 July 1924. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1929.
Before leaving on active service he lived at Walkerville with his wife, Mrs Rhoda Thusnelda Foorwood, and two young children.
After mobilisation and reporting for active service on 16 April 1940, he was posted to the HMAS Parramatta (II), joining the ship in May 1940. He is believed to be the first South Australian RANR man serving at sea during WW2 to gain promotion to Lieutenant-Commander. His promotion was in July 1940.
He was reported missing presumed lost when HMAS Parramatta was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine U559 and sunk off the coast of Libya on its way to Tobruk, in convoy as part of what was known as the 'Tobruk Ferry', the convoys that sustained Tobruk's defenders during the siege. HMAS Parramatta (II) mortally hit and quickly rolled and sank, in the early hours of 27 November 1941. A total of 138 lives were lost including all the officers.
A full account by found by clicking on the 'Last Unit' link on this page.
Percy Forwood's name is listed on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, England along with other Commonwealth sailors who have no known grave.
The image has been sourced from the AWM and the Royal Australian Navy landing page for HMAS Parramatta (II) (see the link).
According to the AWM, the original is held by the Adelaide Rowing Club.
Sources:
AWM Roll of Honour - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10294454 (www.awm.gov.au)
DVA Nominal roll extract - https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1190054&c=WW2#R (nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au)
RAN Website - https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/1808 (/explore/units/1808)
Trove
Click images to start slideshow.