Regimental number | 339 |
Place of birth | Coburg, Victoria |
School | Moreland State School and private tuition, Victoria |
Religion | Church of England |
Occupation | Rural worker |
Address | Rodda Street, Coburg, Victoria |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 21 |
Height | 5' 6.5" |
Weight | 133 lbs |
Next of kin | A E Smith, Rodda Street, Coburg, Victoria |
Previous military service | Served in Cadets. |
Enlistment date | |
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
Place of enlistment | Melbourne, Victoria |
Rank on enlistment | Corporal |
Unit name | 29th Battalion, A Company |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/46/1 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A11 Ascanius on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Corporal |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 29th Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Fromelles, France |
Age at death | 22.4 |
Age at death from cemetery records | 22 |
Place of burial | Australian 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 details | Second given name incorrectly entered on Embarkation Roll as Kereson. |
Sources | NAA: B2455, SMITH Percival Kerson
Red Cross file 2560504 |