Percy Leslie Hayes

Percy Leslie Hayes was born in 1896 in Corryong, Victoria, to James Hayes and Georgina, nee Maddison. In 1900, James, along with W Heath, purchased the Heath Brothers saddlery business in Corryong. He would sell this business two years later and eventually purchase the Corryong Saw-Mill.

When Percy enlisted in the AIF on 14th June 1915, at Melbourne, Victoria, he was a single, 21-year-old motor mechanic living in South Road, Moorabbin. This was not the first time that Percy had tried to enlist. In a previous attempt, he had been rejected due to faulty teeth. This time, however, he passed, was given service number 948, and was placed on strength with the 3rd Reinforcements for the 13th Light Horse Regiment.

Percy’s medical examination shows a young man standing 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall, with dark grey eyes, black hair and a dark complexion. He had one distinct mark, a mole, on the upper part of his right arm.

Percy’s four years of service from June 1915 through to June 1919 were a very colourful one, with no less than eight separate offences in which he was tried and sentenced. These included deserting at Fremantle on the 26th June 1915, being AWOL (Absent Without Leave) on five different occasions, not following instructions from an officer, contracting VD when on active service and being drunk whilst on duty. In total, he forfeited 117 days' pay, was sentenced to Field Punishment No.2 for a total of 91 days and spent 77 days in hospital suffering from a venereal disease.

Percy embarked on HMAT A55 Kyarra at Melbourne on 20th August 1915. His self-imposed ‘vacation’ at Fremantle resulted in him missing this ship when it sailed, so he was placed on HMAT A34 Themistocles, eventually catching up with his unit upon disembarking in England. Upon arriving in England, he was transferred to the 2nd Division Ammunition Column as a gunner on 11th May 1916.

On 11th September of that year, Percy was transferred to the 19th Battery of the 22nd Field Artillery Brigade. In early 1917, he was once again transferred, this time to the 11th Battery of the 4th Field Artillery Brigade, initially as a gunner, then, on 30th April, as a driver. On 13th August 1917, while his unit was in France, he had an accident while attending to the horses, which resulted in him being sent back to England on the HS Grantully Castle and admitted to the Tooting Military Hospital with a severe fracture of the right radius and ulna.

Percy would undergo one more transfer during his period of service, and that was to the 5th Field Artillery Brigade on 2nd June 1918.

On 30th April 1919, Percy finally arrived back on Australia’s shores on HMHSPlassy. He was discharged almost four years after he enlisted, on 22nd June 1919. For his service during the war, he was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

Two of Percy’s brothers, Albert and William, also enlisted and served on the Western Front. Percy passed away on 27th October 1964 at Reservoir, Victoria and was buried in Fawkner Memorial Park, Fawkner, Victoria.