The Soldier's Details

Percy was one of many 2/4th men desperate to see his family when the ‘Aquitania’ sailed to Fremantle from Sydney.  The Battalion had been away training in SA and NT and were advised all leave was cancelled!   He jumped ship, and one of about 90 men who were unable to reboard  ‘Aquitania’ the next morning of 16th January 1942 before it sailed for Singapore.

This group of men sailed a week or so later heading Java where it was planned these well-trained machine gunners would be transhipped to Singapore.  Before they arrived at Java, it became obvious Singapore would fall to the Japanese and the men remained at Java as reinforcements, and to fight the expected Japanese invasion.

Please read about those AWOL

On the 1st March 45,000 Japanese troops invaded Java at 4 different points. Following some terrible fighting and loss of lives, the Allied forces capitulated and became POWs of Japan.

In early May Percy was selected with ‘A’ Force Burma to leave Java and sail to Burma via Singapore.  Their task was to commence building the Railway from the Burma end.
Read further about ‘A’ Force, Java Party 4 and Williams Force.

The camps listed in Burma are an approximation – it is not possible to be precise about the movements between camps.

On returning to WA, Percy was hospitalised at Lady Mitchell Convalescent Home where he received treatment for his eyes which had suffered due to vitamin deficiency.  Read further.

Percy married Doris Eileen Walker in 1938.

Remarried in 1952 toi Mavis Martha Baetge who died in 1973.

His father Charles Golden died in 1952 in Western Australia and his mother died in 1956.

Percy passed away in 21 May 1986 aged 80.