The AIF Project

Percival Kerson SMITH

Regimental number339
Place of birthCoburg, Victoria
SchoolMoreland State School and private tuition, Victoria
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationRural worker
AddressRodda Street, Coburg, Victoria
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 6.5"
Weight133 lbs
Next of kinA E Smith, Rodda Street, Coburg, Victoria
Previous military serviceServed in Cadets.
Enlistment date2 July 1915
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll5 July 1915
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentCorporal
Unit name29th Battalion, A Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/46/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on 10 November 1915
Rank from Nominal RollCorporal
Unit from Nominal Roll29th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19-20 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFromelles, France
Age at death22.4
Age at death from cemetery records22
Place of burialAustralian Cemetery (V.C, Corner No. I), France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
116
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Arthur and Mary SMITH, 24 Rodda Street, Coburg, Victoria
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Embarked Melbourne, 10 November 1915; disembarked Suez, 7 December 1915.

Promoted to Corporal, Tel el Kebir, 10 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 16 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916.

Posted missing in action, 19/20 July 1916.

Placed on Supernumerary List of NCOs, 20 October 1916.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, 23 August 1917, pronounced fate as 'Killed in Action, 20 July 1916'.

Handwritten note on B.103: 'Buried in vicinity of Fleurbaix, Sh.36.'

Note on Red Cross File No 2560504 : 'No trace Germany[.] Cert. by Capt. Mills 10-10-19.'

Statement, 352 Pte E. WAIT and 365 Pte S.G. WHITE, A Company, 29th Bn, 14 January 1919: 'At Fleurbaix on 19/20 July 16. suring our attack. He was killed. We did not see it happen but Pte E. O'Connell of A. Company, sang out to me (S.G. White) P.K's hit. This was in No Man's Land. Pte J. Bonnick of A. Company (since killed) told me (E. Wait) as soon as we got into [the] enemy's trench, that Smith was killed. We were both taken prisoners later.'

Second statement, 15 Pte J. CAIRD, 29th Bn, 7 December 1916: 'He was a great friend of mine, and though I did not see him killed, several of those who did told me he was blown to pieces by a shell.'

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous detailsSecond given name incorrectly entered on Embarkation Roll as Kereson.
SourcesNAA: B2455, SMITH Percival Kerson
Red Cross file 2560504

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