SA2617
HOLNESS, Percy
| Service Number: | 5360 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 April 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 4th Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Snowtown, South Australia, 5 January 1883 |
| Home Town: | Gawler, Gawler, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Daw Park, South Australia, Australia, 17 February 1971, aged 88 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia Cremation |
| Memorials: | Gawler Council Gawler Men Who Answered the Call WW1 Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 26 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5360, 27th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement Private, 5360, 27th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Ballarat embarkation_ship_number: A70 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Embarked Private, 5360, 27th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ballarat, Adelaide | |
| 15 Jun 1919: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 5360, 4th Machine Gun Battalion |
Help us honour Percy Holness's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Greg Kennedy
Percy Holness mother
Elizabeth Jane Holness ( born Edmonds )
Born June 16 - 1870
Barossa, South Australia, Australia
Death October 6 - 1921
Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Provided by Gregory John Kennedy
Relative of Sanders / Kennedy families
Biography contributed by Saint Ignatius' College
In January 1893, in the small town of Snowtown, South Australia, Percy Holness was born. Percy worked as a labourer. His next of kin was Mrs Elizabeth Jane Holness.
On the 26th of April 1916 at the age of 23 Percy made the decision to enlist in the A.I.F (Australian Imperial Force). He was deemed fit to go, having perfect eyesight and no outlying health issues, which were the main qualifications to determine if a soldier was fit. Percy had a tall yet lean physic, being 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 68 kgs. He had a medium complexion with dark features such as brown hair and eyes.
Percy embarked from Adelaide on the 12 of August 1916 abord the HMAT A70 Ballarat. He joined the 27th Battalion, 14th reinforcement and was ranked as a private, which was the lowest ranking status, meaning he had no command over anyone and had to strictly follow orders of those ranked above him. He also eventually become a part of the 4th machine gun Battalion; an infantry support unit formed in March 1918.
Percy has a very extensive casualty form, as he was constantly sick or wounded in hospital, causing him to repeatedly be leaving the front line to then return after he had recovered. On 2nd of August 1917, he was sick to hospital with scabies, a skin condition caused by tiny itch mites that borrow into the skin causing a rash and intense itching. This was relatively common and easily spread via skin-to-skin contact. Percy was unable to re-join the battalion until the 1st of September indicating he must have had a relatively bad case of it, taking him out of battle for such a whole month. Then, on the 25th of September 1917 Percy was wounded in action suffering a gunshot wound to the head. It is unclear how severe the injury was; however, he spent many days in hospital, implying the damage was quite bad. He was also sick on multiple other occasions in different locations but the details of these are unclear suggesting they were not too severe, and he was able to bounce back fast from them.
Percy returned to Australia on the 15 June 1919. He died on the 15th of November 1971 at the age of 75 and is buried at Centennial Park Cemetery located on 760 Goodwood Rd, Pasadena. He is buried next to his spouse, Olive Jolly Holness, whom he met after his return from the war.
Bibliography
Details 2016, Adfa.edu.au, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=141783>.
HOLNESS Percy : Service Number - 5360 : Place of Birth - Snowtown SA : Place of Enlistment - Adelaide SA : Next of Kin - (Mother) HOLNESS Jane Elizabeth 1914, National Archives of Australia, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5822760>.
Percy Holness (1893-1971) - Find a Grave Memorial n.d., www.findagrave.com.
scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=Commonwealth of Australia, D of D address=Russell O n.d., title | 1914-1915 Star | ADF Members & Families | DPG | Honours & Awards | Department of Defence, www.defence.gov.au, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/medals/imperial-awards/world-war-one/1914-1915-star>.
― n.d., title | British War Medal 1914-20 | ADF Members & Families | DPG | Honours & Awards | Department of Defence, www.defence.gov.au, viewed 23 March 2022, <https://www.defence.gov.au/adf-members-families/honours-awards/medals/imperial-awards/world-war-one/british-war-medal-1914-20#:~:text=Instituted%20by%20King%20George%20V>.
Victory medal | The Australian War Memorial n.d., www.awm.gov.au.