Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Kangaroo Island born and bred, Percy was the son of Arthur James and Minnie Caroline (Lena) Weatherspoon. Arthur had come to Kingscote, Kangaroo Island in 1900 where he worked for other farmers before beginning his own farm at Duck Lagoon. He married a local young woman, Minna Boettcher with the two then having four sons and two daughters. Percy was the fourth son, born on the 5th May 1913 in Kingscote. His siblings were Sydney Arthur, Roy Allan, George Herbert Millie Eva and Mavis Olive. (Harold and Charles, born in 1910 died the same year.)
Percy’s father’s family had given outstanding service during WWI. Three of Arthur’s brothers had enlisted between January and October 1916. The first was 31-year-old John, known as Jack, who served with the 43rd Battalion. 24-year-old Sydney George enlisted in October, serving with the 6/43rd Battalion in France then the 11th Trig Battalion in London. He returned safely to Australia at the conclusion of hostilities in March 1919. Herbert Leonard, the third brother, also enlisted a week after Sydney and served in the 23rd Infantry Battalion.
Perce was little more than a baby at three years old when news arrived that his uncle John (Jack) was killed in France on February 19th ‘1917, having arrived in November ’16. Perce had just turned five when his father learnt of the death of his second brother, 29-year-old Private Herbert Leonard Weatherspoon a member of the 23rd Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion, who was killed In action in France on April 24, 1918. Herbert had been wounded in action, with a gunshot wound to his left wrist in October the previous year, but after being treated, returned to fight in France. The black cat charm he had carried into battle had been ineffective.
The news was later announced in the May copy of the Observer. ‘Pte. Herbert Leonard Weatherspoon was born at Two Wells in 1880. He enlisted in October, 1916, and left the State in December of that year, a member of the 23rd Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion. He was killed In action in France on April 24, 1918. One brother, Pte. Jack Weatherspoon, had already made the supreme sacrifice, and the third, Pte. Sydney Weatherspoon, is now on active service with 'the A.I.F.’
Following the declaration of peace after WWI, residents on Kangaroo Island were able to focus on the welfare of their children and their education. Those from Cygnet River formed a working bee to improve the children’s playground at their new local school. Residents and children were all involved in levelling the playground, preparing plots for planting flowers and vegetables, plus erecting a flagpole. Percy’s father also had the contract for erecting suitable fencing. It was certainly a community effort and one that all took much pride in creating and which nine-year-old Percy enjoyed as a student.
Post school, Perce worked on the family farm as a labourer until the outbreak of WWII. Having grown up with stories of his two uncles, Perce followed in their footsteps by also enlisting. He was 27-year-old when he initially enlisted at Cygnet River. Perce then travelled to Adelaide on the 6th July ’40 as one of five locals from the Island who enlisted together. He was given the number SX8249 and allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Perce’s older brother, Roy Allen also later served with the Australian Military Forces as S65259, enlisting in September ’41.
Perce’s early days were spent at Wayville, now the site of the Adelaide Showgrounds, then training in Woodside followed before the men had brief pre-embarkation leave. Returning home, Perce and Private Jack Chapman, SX7162, also in the 2/48th Battalion, were accorded a Farewell Social in the District Hall, where a large contingent of family and friends gathered. Music, singing and duets were part of the entertainment before Council representatives expressed their good wishes towards the Guests of Honour, and complimented them on their patriotism, wishing them a safe and speedy return. The local Kangaroo Island Courier reported that ‘Mr H. P. Roper spoke of his close association with Pte. Weatherspoon who had been an official of the Cygnet River Tennis Club for several years. He has known both the soldiers for seventeen years and had seen them grow up from childhood to manhood. He joined with the Chairman in extending to them the best wishes of the residents.’ Presentations were made to both soldiers with both young men responding. Following supper, the evening closing with the singing of " Auld Lang Syne."
The battalion finally boarded the Stratheden for the Middle East, in November. However, on the voyage to the Middle East, Perce spent almost a fortnight in the ship’s hospital, finally disembarking on the 17th December. During those early days, besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the locals. Within months, the 2/48th Battalion was involved in intense conflicts where their reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. Percy was to become one of the respected and famed Rats of Tobruk.
Back home in Cygnet River, the students enthusiastically supported the war effort through membership in the S.P.F. with all having at least one service badge they proudly wore. Perce’s niece, Gloria Weatherspoon showed outstanding effort, and was then entitled to wear the Badge, 6 bars and the aeroplane.
Perce was wounded in the battle for the Salient early in August ’41, with a gunshot wound to his right buttock. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan explained that ‘The policy for the battalion during this spell was to open up with everything for about fifteen minutes of concentrated fire on any one post that was particularly troublesome. This had a great moral effect on the enemy and gave our men a distinct advantage. Nevertheless, casualties continued to grow.’ That August ’41, fierce fighting was underway for Posts S6 and S7. As the battle progressed, the men moved to bring in their wounded, despite coming under intense machine gun fire. John Glenn recounted how ‘The days were unbearably hot. Conditions in the Salient were particularly bad, and at nights cases of heat exhaustion had to be evacuated from the forward posts. This was the fifth month of siege, and conditions were telling on the men. To add to this there was a marked increase in enemy fire from mortars, artillery and machine guns, and our casualties were mounting.’ Percy had many weeks in hospital before he was finally able to return to his battalion in December.
Back home, the August edition of the Advertiser carried the names of those injured with Perce. From his battalion were Privates Allan Dow SX11938 from Glencoe East and Jack Chapman from Kingscote, who had been farewelled with Perce.
While he was overseas, Perce learnt of the death of his 60-year-old father in August ’42 who died suddenly on his Cygnet River farm. The Kangaroo Island Courier described how ‘Just as he finished crutching a sheep, he had a heart attack and suddenly collapsed. He had suffered from heart disease for some years.’ Arthur was buried in the Kingscote Cemetery.
Perce was finally able to return home, leaving the Middle East at the start of February ‘43 and arriving in Australia via Melbourne later that month. He was one of several soldiers who returned to Kingscote on leave. From his battalion were also David Stark SX6891 and George Johncock SX7400 who spent their leave on the Island.
Following leave, Perce then headed to Queensland to train in the tropical conditions that he would soon experience in New Guinea, facing a very different enemy in totally different conditions to the desert warfare he had left. Still not back to full health, Perce then contracted an extremely high fever (Pyrexia of Unknown Origin; PUO), followed by an upper respiratory tract infection. By August ’43 he left Cairns for Milne Bay in New Guinea. However, by the following January, Perce had again contracted a PUO and malaria, before being able to head back to Australia in February, arriving in Brisbane on the 22nd of that month in ’44.
Perce was promoted to Lance Corporal just prior to heading to Morotai in April ’45 for Tarakan, his last area of service. He had served with the 2/48th from Tobruk to Tarakan, arriving back in Australia via Brisbane in September ’45. From being the fit young country born man, by the time of his discharge, on the 27th September, ’45 his record clearly listed the effects of war on him, the gun shot wound, malaria, haemorrhoids and migraine headaches.
By 1950 he had returned to playing cricket for Cygnet River, proving to be a reliable batsman. Roy, his brother, married Mary Bates in September that year and chose Perce as his best man.
Perce’s mother, Minna lived to be 84 and died in April ’65. She was buried in the Kingscote Cemetery near Arthur. The following year, aged 52, Percy died at Kingscote on the 1st May ’66, just days prior to his 53rd birthday. He was also buried nearby, in the local Kingscote Cemetery.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.