Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frederick William Percival (Percy) Richter was born at Orroroo 20 February 1913, son of John Frederick August and Mary Gertrude (nee O’loughlin) Richter. Frederick initially managed the blacksmiths shop at Willowie owned by Mr. Hinton of Booleroo Whim, before becoming a ‘mobile smith’.

The 1939 Electoral Roll records Percy as an Engineer living in Norseman, Western Australia. He married Jessie Thelma Howard nee Buller at the Norseman Methodist Manse, 3 February 1940. The couple returned to South Australia sometime prior to his enlistment and were living at Murray Bridge.

 He enlisted 22nd of February 1941 at Adelaide giving his trade as Fitter and Welder. His enlistment papers give his birth as the 22nd of February and his Christian names as Percy William.

Initially reporting to the Recruit Reception Depot, he was transferred to the 2/4 Field workshops at Balcombe, Victoria, 18 April 1941, before being transferred to 12 Recovery Section (this became 27 Infantry Brigade Group Ordnance Workshop) on the 25th of July that year.

Percy boarded a ship at Port Melbourne for overseas duty 30 July 1941, disembarking in Singapore. As the Japanese invasion loomed British and Commonwealth forces withdrew from the Malay Peninsula to Singapore Island in January 1942.

8 February 1942 the Japanese attacked and slowly pushed the defenders back into the centre of the island. After just seven days, at 8.30 pm on the 15th February, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival surrendered his forces to the invaders.

 Percy William Richter, along with 15,000 Australians and 115,000 other troops from Britain and India, became a Prisoner of War. Red Cross records indicate he spent the remainder of the war in Changi, a collection of up to seven POW and internee camps covering an area of around twenty five square kilometres. Most of the Australians occupied Selerang Barracks, which remained the AIF camp until mid-1944. For many it was a transit stop as they were shipped out to other camps on the Island or into Malaya, with many ending up working on the Thai Burma Railway. In May 1944 the remaining inmates, including 5000 Australians, were moved into Changi Gaol. An area of less than a quarter of a kilometre housed 11,700 troops until their liberation 5 September 1945. 

Percy was repatriated to Australia on the MV ‘Duntroon’ disembarking in Sydney 7 October 1945. He and Jessie settled in the South West of Western Australia, renting a home at Manjimup for a period of time before returning to Perth. They separated some time later. What direction his life took after this is unknown.

Percy died 13 January 1971, aged 57 years. His ashes are interred at Cairns Cemetery, Queensland – Sect MES; Row: D2: Site: 1626A.

Excerpt from "Diggers From the Dust" (2018) Di Barrie and Andrew Barrie