Private Percy Henry David Allengame, 32nd Battalion, AIF
Australian War MemorialToday we remember and pay tribute to Private Percy Henry David Allengame.
Percy Allengame was born on the 10th of October 1891 in Macclesfield, South Australia to Henry Allengame and Sarah nee Manning. He was the fourth of their eight children.
Growing up he attended Cooks Plain and Coonalpyn Public Schools before the family moved to Tailem Bend. Allengame became a popular figure in town, playing Australian Rules football and cricket for Tailem Bend. He was regarded as one of the best footballers in town, featuring regularly in the best afield reports.
He qualified as a linesman in the Post Master General’s Department on the 18th of July 1918[1] and was working in the Adelaide metropolitan area when the First World War began.
Allengame enlisted for service in the Australian Imperial Force in Adelaide on the 4th of October 1915. After his initial training he was allotted to the 3rd reinforcements to the 32nd Infantry Battalion.
He embarked from Outer Harbour, Adelaide on the 7th of February 1916 aboard the transport ship Militiades bound for Egypt.
On arrival in Egypt he joined 13 Platoon, D Company. Over the next few months of training, he became a highly regarded member of the platoon as well as a proficient bomb thrower. The 32nd Battalion sailed for France in late June and after arriving at Marseilles, was sent directly to the Nursery Sector in northern France. The battalion entered the front line near Fleurbaix for the first time on the 16th of July.
Only three days later the battalion took part in its first battle at Fromelles. The first wave went over just before 6 pm, the other three waves following in intervals. The battalion was on the left flank of the advance and the men soon gained the German frontline before moving on to the second line.
A little after midnight on the 20th of July, the 32nd Battalion was coming under increasing pressure as the German counter-attacks intensified. Allengame was near the second line when one of his comrades, Lance Corporal Bob Green was hit in the chest by shrapnel. Along with Lance Corporal Allan Bennett, he was sent forward to bring Green in.
As both men neared their wounded mate, they were hit by machine gun fire. Allengame was killed instantly and Bennett mortally wounded, falling near Green. When the battalion was forced to retire, their bodies had to be left behind. What was left of the 32nd Battalion was back at its start line by 7.30 that morning.
Allengame was initially listed as missing and it took until August 1917 for his status to be officially changed to reflect that he had been killed in action on the 20th of July 1916. He was 24 years old.
The Battle of Fromelles was the worst 24 hours in Australia’s military history with 5,533 men killed, wounded and missing. It was especially devastating for the 32nd Battalion, which suffered 718 casualties, almost 75 percent of their total strength.
Both Green and Bennett’s remains were identified after the mass graves at Pheasant Wood were located. Sadly Allengame remains among the missing. His name is commemorated on the V.C. Corner Cemetery and Memorial at Fromelles in France.
