Name
Percy Cyril Kinns
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/04/1918
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
2617
Australian Infantry, A.I.F.
49th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
MONT HUON MILITARY CEMETERY, LE TREPORT
VI. G. 9B.
France
Headstone Inscription
SLEEP ON BELOVED
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Town Memorial, Bengeo War Memorial Plaque Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo, Not on the Potters Bar memorials
Pre War
Born in 1890, in Potters Bar (or possibly Barnet), Hertford, to parents Charles and Harriet, he was one of 11 and in 1891 they were living at High Street, Potters Bar and his father was employed as a gardener.
By 1911 they were living at 84 Duncombe Road, Bengeo and Percy was employed as a clerk on an estate. On his attestation papers in 1915 he states he was a cook with a three years apprenticeship served in the Grand Hotel in Paris. Percy married Mary Few on 8th January 1917 at St Peters Church, Cranley Gardens, London. He probably emigrated to Australia.
Wartime Service
Percy enlisted in Brisbane on 11th Jun 1915 in the 9th Battalion A.I.F. They sailed from Australia on the SS Kyara on 16 Aug 1915, but Percy deserted from the troopship when it arrived in Fremantle but was caught and fined 28 days’ pay. He then tried to stowaway on another ship, the Star of Victoria but was again caught.
He then travelled to Egypt where he spent 59 days confined to hospital. On 7th Jun 1916 he was appointed acting Sergeant, although he was later reduced back to Private. Percy landed at Plymouth UK on 16th Jun 1916 after which he went AWOL on three occasions between 11th Aug 1916 and 27th Jan 1917 (date of Marriage 8 Jan), the final time resulting in a Court Martial, at which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months detention with 100 days remitted.
He later arrived in France on 20th Apr 1917 at the Australian Force Base Depot and transferred to 49th Battalion on 2nd November. In Apr 1918 his unit was in action at the Battle of Villers-Bretonneux and came under heavy shell fire from German artillery, including gas shells, Percy suffered gas poisoning on 25th and died in 47th General Hospital, Le Treport on 28 Apr 1918.
Additional Information
Brother of Private George Kinns who was killed in action on 16 May 1915 and is also commemorated on the Hertford and Bengeo memorials.
A iI F records available at : recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ ViewImage.aspx?B=7373172
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Malcolm Lennox, Terry & Glenis Collins
