Percy Pym
Name: PERCY LAURIE PYM
Rank: Private
Service Number: 3074
Units Served: 10th Battalion
Personal Details: Percy Laurie Pym was born in Rockleigh, South Australia, on March the 1st 1894. His mother and father were Sophie and Samuel Pym and Percy was the middle child of five sons. In his early years Percy went to school in Rockleigh, walking 5miles to and from school every day. In his later years Percy boarded and went to school in Mount Pleasant, walking back to Rockleigh every weekend to see his family. After leaving school Percy was a farmer up until his enlistment in the war.
Enlistment Details: Percy enlisted at Keswick on the 18th of June 1915 when he was 21 years and 3months old. He was one of the first men to enlist from Rockleigh.
Details about his role in War: Percy left Adelaide aboard the ship ‘Seang Bee’ on the 14th of September and arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, on the 29th of December 1915.
The 10th battalion, for which Percy served, was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position in Gallipoli.
Due to this role, Percy began his time at war around these areas. Percy was never actually involved in any warfare in Gallipoli and spent his first few months either in Egypt for training or Mudros, a port under the British control for the attempt to seize the Dardanelles Straits.
On the 27th of March 1916 Percy joined the British Expeditionary Forces and on the 3rd of April disembarked in Marseilles. On the 21st of April, Percy was admitted to hospital with the mumps. He rejoined the 10th Battalion on the 14th of May 1916. Two months later Percy was wounded in action at Pozieres. Due to the severity of his wounds he was sent back to England with a bone protruding from his left arm!
On the 23rd of October he went back into battle with the 10th battalion in Etaples, France. On the 25th of February 1917 Percy received shrapnel wounds to his side near Le Barque. From these wounds Percy Laurie Pym died on the 2nd of March 1917.
Age at Death: 23 yrs
Memorial Details: Dernancourt Communal Cemetery
