Percival James Dominick
6991 Pte. Percival James Dominick was born in South Melbourne in 1889 to Croatian born Paolo Domancic and Lucy Helena Perkins. He was working for Janet Watson (Jessie McGregor) on her farm near Pyramid Rock on Phillip Island.
He enlisted on 4th October 1916 at Melbourne with the 23/6th Battalion and embarked from Melbourne on 23rd November 1916 on HMAT Hororata and disembarked Plymouth 29th January 1917.
He undertook training with the 2nd Training Battalion then proceeded overseas to France on 25th April 1917.
He was taken on strength of 6th Battalion on 12th May 1917.
“After Pozieres the battalion fought near Ypres, in Flanders, returning to the Somme for winter. In 1917, the battalion participated in the operations that followed-up the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line, and then returned to Belgium to join the great offensive launched to the east of Ypres. During the battle of Menin Road in September 1917, Lieutenant Frederick Birks earned the 6th Battalion’s only Victoria Cross. Birks was killed by a shell burst the next day while trying to rescue men buried during a bombardment.
In March and April 1918 the battalion helped stop the German spring offensive.”
Australian War Memorial website.
Percival was admitted to No. 2 Australian Field Ambulance with trench fever on 24th March 1918.
He embarked for England and was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital on 8th April 1918 with acute appendicitis. He was discharged from hospital on 7th August and was admitted to hospital for three more short periods. He embarked on 8th November 1918 to Australia on HT Gaika still suffering from the appendicitis.
He married Myrtle Skinner at Burnley on 27th July 1919 and lived in St Kilda and later in Prahran.
Percival enlisted in the Second War with the 6th Supply Personnel Company at Royal Park on 17th June 1940, stating his birth date as 22nd February 1910. His Army No.was V84663 and he worked as a cook in Melbourne.
“The Australian Army established 39 labour or employment companies during the war, 11 of which were comprised of aliens. They were responsible for a wide range of general labouring tasks for the Australian Defence Force for which specialist skills were not required.”
Virtual Reading Room website.
He was discharged medically unfit at Caulfield on 27th June 1942.
Percival died on 1st January 1951 at Heidelberg and was buried in the New Cheltenham Cemetery.