Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

When Percy Leslie Hayes was born in 1896, in Corryong, Victoria, his father, James (1856-1933), was 40 and his mother, Georgina, nee Maddison (1860-1941), was 36. He was the youngest of six brothers and two sisters; John James (1876 to 1963), Henry Bowman (1879 to ?), Oliver Alfred (1881 to ?), Thomas Murray (1883 to 1954), Olive Ethel (1885 to ?), Albert Edward (1887 to 1933), Florence Mary (1892 to 1970) and William Gordon (1893 to 1953).

When Percy enlisted in the AIF on 14 June, 1915, at Melbourne, Victoria, he was a single, 21-year-old motor mechanic living in South Road, Moorabbin. This was not the first time that Percy had tried to enlist. In a previous attempt, he had been rejected due to faulty teeth. This time, however, he passed and was given the service number 948 and placed on strength with the 3rd Reinforcements for the 13th Light Horse Regiment.

Percy’s medical examination shows a young man standing 5 foot 10 inches (178 cm) tall, with dark grey eyes, black hair and a dark complexion. He had one distinct mark in the form of a mole on the upper part of his right arm.

Percy’s four years of service from June 1915 through to June 1919 was a very colourful one, with no less than eight separate offences in which he was tried and sentenced. These included; deserting at Fremantle on the 26 June, 1915, being AWOL (Absent Without Leave) on five different occasions, not following instructions from an officer, contracting VD when on active service and being drunk whilst on duty. In total, he forfeited 117 days pay, was sentenced to Field Punishment No.2 for a total of 91 days and spent 77 days in hospital suffering from a venereal disease.

Percy embarked on HMAT A55 Kyarra at Melbourne on the 20 August, 1915. His self imposed ‘vacation’ at Fremantle resulted in him missing this ship when it sailed, so he was placed on HMAT A34 Themistocles, eventually catching up with his unit upon disembarking in England. Upon arriving in England he was transferred to the 2nd Division Ammunition Column as a gunner on the 11 May, 1916.

On the 11 September of that year, Percy was transferred to the 19th Battery of the 22nd Field Artillery Brigade. In early 1917 he was once again transferred, this time to the 11th Battery of the 4th Field Artillery Brigade, initially as a gunner, but then on the 30 April, as a driver. On the 13 August, 1917, while his unit was in France, he had an accident while attending to the horses which resulted in him being sent back to England on the HS Grantully Castle and admitted to the Tooting Military Hospital with a severe fracture of the right radius and ulna.

Percy would undergo one more transfer during his period of service and that was to the 5th Field Artillery Brigade on the 2 June, 1918.

On the 30 April, 1919, Percy finally arrived back on Australia’s shores on HMHS Plassy. He was discharged almost four years from the day he enlisted, on the 22 June, 1919. For his service during the war, he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Not much is known of Percy’s life after he returned from overseas service. He passed away in 1964, at Reservoir, Victoria, at the age of 68.

Extract from "Light Horsemen of the Upper Murray", Year 5 and 6 Project, Corryong College.