Percy Francis Keenan
From Our Contribution
 Western Mail 29 Jun 1917 page 19. | |
| Personal Information | |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth |
not known "not known" contains an extrinsic dash or other characters that are invalid for a date interpretation. |
| Place of Birth | Albany, Western Australia |
| Death | 1964 |
| Place of Death | East Coolgardie district |
| Age at Enlistment | 22 years, 6 months |
| Description |
5'8½" (1.m) tall ; 149 lbs 67.585 kg ; fresh complexion ; brown eyes ; brown hair ; Bullet wound left ankle. |
| Occupation | Timber worker |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Whittaker's Mill, North Dandalup, Western Australia |
| Next of Kin | Father , Mr George Francis Keenan |
| Military Information | |
| Reg Number | 427 |
| Date of Enlistment | 27 Oct 1914 & 17 Jan 1917 |
| Rank | Private |
| Unit/Formation | 10th Light Horse, C Squadron / 3rd Light Horse Brigade, NZ & Australian Division |
| Date of Embarkation | 17 Feb 1915 ‒ 21 Mar 1916 |
| Ship Embarked On | HMAT A52 Surada Fremantle to Suez |
| Date of Return | 17 Jul 1916 ‒ 17 Aug 1916 |
| Ship Returned On | HMAT A49 Seang Choon |
| Fate |
Wounded in Action 29 Aug 1915, Hill 60, Gallipoli, Turkey Returned to Australia |
| Monument | not known |
| Medals |
1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal |
Pre War
1917 Electoral Roll entry had him as a swamper at No.2 Mill, Dwellingup.
War Service
On entering camp was appointed Trooper and allocated to C Squadron of the 10th Light Horse Regiment. Following training in both WA and then Egypt, on 16 May 1915 they embarked for Gallipoli where they fought as traditional infantry.
On 29 Aug 1915 he received a gun shot wound to his left ankle, and was seen by the 16th Casualty Clearing Station on Anzac, before being shipped .first to the 25th Casualty Clearing Station on Imbros Island on 30 Aug 1915. and then via HMT Huntsend previously known as SS Lutzow to hospital in Malta on 6 Sep 1915, and finally on to the 1st Southern General Hospital in Edgbaston, Birmingham on 19 Sep 1915.
Recovered, he was sent back to Alexandria in Egypt on the HMT Kingstonian, arriving there on 5 Mar 1916. On 9 Mar 1916 he was admitted to the 4th Australian Auxiliary Hospital with scabies, before being released on 4 Apr 1916, for a short period with the Anzac Provost Corps, before returning to the 10th Light Horse Regiment on 9 Jul 1916.
Hospitalised again on 13 Jul 1916 in the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital with Octitis Media and deafness, with some vertigo. It was decided to send him home to Australia where he was discharged by the 5th Military District on 2 Oct 1916.
However, on 17 Jan 1917 he re-enlisted, and was initially allotted to the 8th reinforcement draft for the 44th Battalion. Sent to the Rockingham camp on 9 Mar 1917, he began to have some discipline issues.
Charged with being drunk on 15 Apr 1917 at Rockingham, Percy was fined 2/6d (25 cents). His next brush with Military Law was on 15 Jun 1917 when he had overstayed leave from 12pm 13 Jun 1917 until 10:00pm 14 Jun 1917. Costing him a 5/- fine and one day's pay. On 11 Jul 1917 he was charged with overstaying leave from midnight 11 Jul 1917 until 9:00am 10 Sep 1917, for which he was fined £2 and placed in detention for 21 days. On 11 Jul 1917 he was charged with 'Breaking away from Guard whilst under arrest', and AWOL from 7:30pm 12 Sep 1917 until 6:30 am 13 Sep 1917. That 11 hours of 'freedom' cost him another 168 hours (1 week) in detention with the forfeit of 12 day's pay.
In October back at Blackboy Hill camp, he was allocated to the 27th reinforcement draft for the 16th Battalion, but a fortnight later he was discharged by the 5th Military District, with his records marked NOT due to misconduct. (Services no longer required).
Post War
In 1918 in the Murray District, Percy married Ettie Victoria Cathpole. In 1920 Percy was at the No 2 State Mill at Dwellingup.
Electoral Roll entries - 1922 - 1937 at No2 Mill, Dwellingup, mill hand; in 1931 - 1937 Ettie also there.; 1949 by himself at Bocrabbin, a repairer; 1954 both at 6 Coombe street, Hannans; 1958 both at 36 Brown Hill road, Kalgoorlie; 1963 at 30 Plumer street, Kalgoolie, retired.
A son, James Francis Keenan, (born 12 Oct 1919 and NOK Ettie Keenan) of Banksiadale, enlisted in Northam with Reg. No. WX5744 on 22 Jun 1940, and served until 10 Aug 1945 having served with the 24th Anti-tank Battalion.
On file dated 5 Jun 1952 is a License for change of surname from Keenan to Herbert for Graham Francis Herbert and Trevor John Herbert (b. 1 Dec 1946 in Kalgoorlie) then living at 16 Ramsay Terrace, Donnybrook.
Notes
While Percy falls just outside our area of interest, he is not listed on the Gosnells Road Board Honour Roll, nor is he on the Pinjarra Honour Roll. Brother of John George (on Gosnells Honour Roll) and therefore NOK resided in Jarrahdale, and then later in the war at Maddington.