Veteran Story: Percy Herbert Harcourt Anderson was born at Damper Gully to Percy Herbert Harcourt and Annie McGore. Percy understated his age when he enlisted on 24/3/1916 and was allotted to the 22nd Reinforcements for the 9th Infantry Battalion. He stood 5 ft 8 Inches tall, and weighed 10 stone 6 lbs. After training camp at Lytton Qld he embarked for England aboard HMAT Marathon on 27/10/1916 arriving in Plymouth England on 9/1/1917. Within a month of his arrival in England, was admitted to Fargo Military Hospital, first with influenza, then mumps. While still in England he had four altercations with the Army law for being Absent without Leave resulting in loss of pay and detention. On 20/10/1917 Percy joined his battalion in Belgium. on 7/3/1918 he was Wounded In Action being gassed and was transferred to the casualty clearing station and then on to England for treatment and rehabilitation. He returned to his unit in Belgium in July 1918, where he remained until returning home in September 1919 on HMAT Persic at the end of the war. Percy discharged from the AIF on 18/10/1919. He married Maisie Fernando in 1934 and also served during the Second World War, Service No: Q90967, with the Northern Command Reception Camp, Brisbane.
