Percy James Skinner
He was born in Loughton in about 1882 to Mr and Mrs Charles Edwin Skinner. His military record records the fact that he was educated at Loughton School and that must have been in the 1890s. There is a reference that he served in some military unit [Territorial] in Essex, but the Australian record is not specific. In any event at the age of 27 he emigrated to Australia and was employed as a salesman [shop assistant] in Wickepin, Western Australia. He was not married but the record suggests he may have had a close lady friend in Western Australia as it is recorded that she made inquiries about him following his death.
On the 24th June 1915 within two years of starting his new life in Australia, he enlisted as a private in the 28th battalion in the Australian Imperial Force or AIF, to fight for his old country. After initial training at Blackboy Hill Camp W.A. he embarked [as part of the 2nd reinforcement] from Freemantle, Western Australia on board HMAT Demosthenes on the 23rd July and joined the 28th in Gallipoli in October. Following some illness and return to Egypt, where the Australians had their hospitals and main base, he embarked from Alexandria for Marseilles and the western front in March 1916.
July 1916 the 28th saw him on the Somme as part of the 7th brigade 2nd division of the AIF. They were to attack the crest at Pozieres on the 29th July. It was to be the battalion`s first major battle and the generals were anxious to make progress. As Major Brown of the battalion wrote “not an officer or a man had had a daylight view of the objective “, but it was confidently believed the artillery barrage would take care of the German wire defences.
“The men were in position by 11:30 p.m. [but their preparations had been observed] and at 12:30 a.m. the enemy opened up with artillery using heavy explosives, shrapnel and machine gun fire causing a number of casualties. Our artillery laid a heavy barrage on the enemy trenches and as soon as it lifted the men rushed forward in perfect order and were met with heavy fire….the first wave was held up by the enemy`s wire which was intact and very strong. The following waves made unavailing attempts to find an opening or make them in the face of intense machine gun fire. Heavy casualties resulted. A very intense artillery barrage of the enemy prevented any reports of the situation getting through and it was not until 2:54 a.m. that the order for withdrawal could be delivered”
The casualty list recorded 523 killed wounded and missing from the 28th battalion. Percy Skinner`s body was not recovered and he has no known grave. He was aged 29.
His name is recorded on the Australian national memorial at Villiers-Bretonneaux, France and on the Australian war memorial in Canberra, Australia