Percy Black
Encyclopedia
Percy Charles Herbert Black DSO
DCM
(12 December 1877 – 11 April 1917) was a decorated Australian soldier who served with the First Australian Imperial Force
in the First World War.
, near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
, the eleventh child of William and Anne (née Longmore), farmers originally from Antrim
, Ireland
. He trained as a carpenter before moving to Western Australia
as a prospector in the Western Australian gold rush
.
in the First Australian Imperial Force
(1st AIF) in 1914. His poor teeth saw him accepted "subject to extraction of stumps". He started his military career at Blackboy Hill Camp, near Perth
, where he first met Harry Murray. Black and Murray, who would become the most decorated Australian soldier in the war, trained together on the Maxim Gun
and became firm friends. Black's instructor at the camp claimed Black was the best gunner he had come across.
Black was dispatched to Egypt with the 16th Battalion
. Black saw action during the Gallipoli Campaign, taking part in the landing on 25 April 1915 (ANZAC Day
). Black, with his good friend, Harry Murray, formed one of the 16th Battalion's two machine gun
teams. In May he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
and commissioned in the field as a Second Lieutenant
. In August, before leaving Gallipoli, Black was Mentioned in Despatches (for actions prior to 20 May), and promoted to Captain.
Black was promoted to Major
in 1916, and was sent with his battalion to the Western Front
. On 12 July he was again Mentioned in Despatches, for actions shortly before the withdrawal from Gallipoli. In France, Black fought at Pozières
and Mouquet Farm
. At Mouquet Farm, which the Germans had turned into a fortress, Black and the 16th Battalion battled through dugouts and cellars. The Australians were unable to hold the fortress, a determined counter-attack threw the Australians back to their start lines. Black was wounded—shot in the neck—and the severity of wound required specialist treatment in London.
While in London, Black was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
and the French croix de guerre
for his actions at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The citation for his DSO was published in a supplement to the London Gazette
on 14 November 1916 and read:
On day-leave from hospital, Black went sightseeing around London with a friend. Dodging the busy traffic around Piccadilly Circus
, Black drolly remarked to his companion, "I’ll be glad to get back to the battalion, mate. A man’s not safe here!" He was able to return to his battalion in early 1917.
Black was killed at the First Battle of Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 while commanding the right flank of his battalion. His battalion was exposed to uncut wire
and machine gun fire after a tank
offensive failed to clear a passage. Black, leading his men forward, yelled "Come on boys, bugger the tanks!" He captured the first trenches before he was shot in the head while pressing on towards the support line. Knowing the attack would be difficult, Black said to his commanding officer beforehand "Well, goodbye Colonel. I mayn't come back but we will take the Hindenburg Line
".
Black is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux
Memorial; his body was never found despite a determined search by his friend Murray. However, Australian press reports on 6 August 2010 indicate that new documentary evidence of a possible burial place has recently been uncovered. A group led by Lambis Englezos—who began the work that led to the recovery of over 200 men missing after the Battle of Fromelles
, and reinterred at the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery
earlier in 2010—found eyewitness reports from Aliied prisoners of war who were ordered by the Germans to bury the men in shell holes after the Battle of Bullecourt. The group is now trying to obtain funding for ground-penetrating radar
surveys of the area to locate the graves.
While Black was renowned for his courage, Murray claimed that "Percy never went beserk and never sought death" and "had all the fear of the unknown". He was described by the Australian war historian C. E. W Bean
as "the greatest fighting soldier in the A.I.F.", while Murray, himself a winner of the Victoria Cross
, called Black "‘the bravest and coolest of all the brave men I know".
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
DCM
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
(12 December 1877 – 11 April 1917) was a decorated Australian soldier who served with the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
in the First World War.
Early life
Black was born in BerembokeBeremboke, Victoria
Beremboke is a locality in western central Victoria, Australia. The locality is centred in the northern Brisbane Ranges and in the Moorabool Shire local government area, west of the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Beremboke had a population of 490.Beremboke Post Office opened on...
, near Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Bacchus Marsh is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately west of Melbourne and west of Melton. The population of the urban area is estimated at over 17,000 people, while the central locality is home to 5,566 people...
, the eleventh child of William and Anne (née Longmore), farmers originally from Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He trained as a carpenter before moving to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
as a prospector in the Western Australian gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
.
First World War
In Western Australia, Black, aged 36, enlisted as a privatePrivate (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the First Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
(1st AIF) in 1914. His poor teeth saw him accepted "subject to extraction of stumps". He started his military career at Blackboy Hill Camp, near Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, where he first met Harry Murray. Black and Murray, who would become the most decorated Australian soldier in the war, trained together on the Maxim Gun
Maxim gun
The Maxim gun was the first self-powered machine gun, invented by the American-born British inventor Sir Hiram Maxim in 1884. It has been called "the weapon most associated with [British] imperial conquest".-Functionality:...
and became firm friends. Black's instructor at the camp claimed Black was the best gunner he had come across.
Black was dispatched to Egypt with the 16th Battalion
16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment
The 16th Battalion, Royal Western Australia Regiment is an Australian Army reserve infantry battalion located in Western Australia and one of the two battalions of the Royal Western Australia Regiment.-History:...
. Black saw action during the Gallipoli Campaign, taking part in the landing on 25 April 1915 (ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
). Black, with his good friend, Harry Murray, formed one of the 16th Battalion's two machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
teams. In May he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
and commissioned in the field as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. In August, before leaving Gallipoli, Black was Mentioned in Despatches (for actions prior to 20 May), and promoted to Captain.
Black was promoted to Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1916, and was sent with his battalion to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. On 12 July he was again Mentioned in Despatches, for actions shortly before the withdrawal from Gallipoli. In France, Black fought at Pozières
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
and Mouquet Farm
Battle of Mouquet Farm
The Battle of Mouquet Farm, which began on 5 August 1916, was part of the Battle of the Somme and followed the Battle of Pozières. The farm was eventually captured on 26 September by No. 16 Section of the 6th East Yorkshire Pioneers.-Battle:...
. At Mouquet Farm, which the Germans had turned into a fortress, Black and the 16th Battalion battled through dugouts and cellars. The Australians were unable to hold the fortress, a determined counter-attack threw the Australians back to their start lines. Black was wounded—shot in the neck—and the severity of wound required specialist treatment in London.
While in London, Black was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and the French croix de guerre
Croix de guerre
The Croix de guerre is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was awarded during World War I, again in World War II, and in other conflicts...
for his actions at Pozières and Mouquet Farm. The citation for his DSO was published in a supplement to the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 14 November 1916 and read:
On day-leave from hospital, Black went sightseeing around London with a friend. Dodging the busy traffic around Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
, Black drolly remarked to his companion, "I’ll be glad to get back to the battalion, mate. A man’s not safe here!" He was able to return to his battalion in early 1917.
Black was killed at the First Battle of Bullecourt on 11 April 1917 while commanding the right flank of his battalion. His battalion was exposed to uncut wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
and machine gun fire after a tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
offensive failed to clear a passage. Black, leading his men forward, yelled "Come on boys, bugger the tanks!" He captured the first trenches before he was shot in the head while pressing on towards the support line. Knowing the attack would be difficult, Black said to his commanding officer beforehand "Well, goodbye Colonel. I mayn't come back but we will take the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
".
Black is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux
Villers-Bretonneux is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Villers-Bretonneux is situated some 19 km due east of Amiens, on the D1029 road and the A29 motorway.-History - World War I:...
Memorial; his body was never found despite a determined search by his friend Murray. However, Australian press reports on 6 August 2010 indicate that new documentary evidence of a possible burial place has recently been uncovered. A group led by Lambis Englezos—who began the work that led to the recovery of over 200 men missing after the Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
, and reinterred at the new Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery
Fromelles (Pheasant Wood) Military Cemetery
Fromelles Military Cemetery is a First World War cemetery built by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on the outskirts of Fromelles in northern France, near the Belgian border. Constructed between 2009 and 2010, it was the first new Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery for more than 50...
earlier in 2010—found eyewitness reports from Aliied prisoners of war who were ordered by the Germans to bury the men in shell holes after the Battle of Bullecourt. The group is now trying to obtain funding for ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
surveys of the area to locate the graves.
Personality
Black was seen as a gentleman but prospecting life had hardened him. Harry Murray said that Black was "as gentle of a Sister of Mercy", however Murray also relayed the story about a fight between Black and a boxer when Black was prospecting in Western Australia. While getting beaten early, Black persisted and in the end his friends had to pull him off the boxer, who spent a month in hospital.While Black was renowned for his courage, Murray claimed that "Percy never went beserk and never sought death" and "had all the fear of the unknown". He was described by the Australian war historian C. E. W Bean
Charles Bean
Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean , usually identified as C.E.W. Bean, was an Australian schoolmaster, judge's associate, barrister journalist, war correspondent and historian....
as "the greatest fighting soldier in the A.I.F.", while Murray, himself a winner of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
, called Black "‘the bravest and coolest of all the brave men I know".
External links
- The death of Major Black (1923), oil on canvas (linen), Charles WheelerCharles Wheeler (painter)Charles Arthur Wheeler OBE, DCM was an Australian painter.Born in New Zealand, he arrived in Australia in 1892.He won the Archibald Prize for 1933....
, Australian War Memorial, CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. - Black's enlistment paper, National Archives of AustraliaNational Archives of AustraliaThe National Archives of Australia is a body established by the Government of Australia for the purpose of preserving Commonwealth Government records. It is an Executive Agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and reports to the Cabinet Secretary, Senator Joe Ludwig.The national...