CLEGG, Percy Lewis

CLEGG, Percy Lewis – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWII
SERVICE NO : QX38694
RANK : Private
UNIT : 2/3rd Hospital Ship
ENLISTMENT DATE : 13/11/1942
AGE : 38
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Brisbane, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Sydney, New South Wales
RELIGION : Presbyterian
PRE-WAR OCCUPATION : Bread Carter
DATE OF DEATH : 14/05/1943
PLACE OF BURIAL : At Sea

MEMORIALS : Gold Coast AHS Centaur Memorial, Heilberg Repatriation Hospital Centaur Memorial Wing, Sydney Memorial Rookwood, Caloundra Centaur Memorial Park

View this person’s Service File : CLEGG, Percy Lewis

NOTES : The Centaur was on her fourth trip as a hospital ship. It was painted a vivid white with a green band, interspersed by large red crosses 2 yards wide and high. Percy and Horace Henry Lowe from Killarney, lost their lives when the Japanese sank the hospital ship the ‘Centaur’ off the coast of Brisbane.

Percy had married Priscilla Marjorie Matthews in 1933. She was the daughter of Alderman RW Matthews of Warwick and the couple had a young son, Keith Matthews Clegg. On the day they received the news of Percy’s death, Keith received a book in the mail which his father had bought while the ship was docked in Sydney prior to setting sail for Papua New Guinea.

Read on to learn Keith’s story on his father.

 

Pte. CLEGG, Percy Lewis
QX38694 Army Medical Corps
Medical Staff 2/3 AHS Centaur

Story by Keith Clegg, son of Percy Lewis Clegg.

Percy was born in Sydney in 1903. He was the eldest in the family with brother Leslie and sister Emily born at Allora Hospital. When Percy was 4 years old, his family lived at Glengallan Station where his father was the Shorthorn Cattle Stud-Master.

Percy grew up on the family Farm, “Sunnyside”, at Pratten, and as a young man farmed the property with his brother Leslie, trading under the name of “The Clegg Brothers”. He was highly regarded as a boxer, horseman and horse trainer. During the Depression he was a Baker at the Isis Sugar Mill.

Percy married Priscilla Marjorie Matthews, daughter of Alderman R.W. Matthews of Warwick, January 1933. They lived on Percy’s small farm, “Heatherlea”, at Mile End on the outskirts of Warwick.

Percy worked at near-by cattle stud “Netherby”, was a Shearing Contractor, and had a large poultry run on his farm. Percy bred excellent show poultry and was awarded a number of Grand Championships at the Warwick and Maryborough Shows. Prior to his enlistment in the AIF, he was a Baker and Bread Carter in Warwick.

Percy was very patriotic, serving as a Trooper in the Darling Downs 11th Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron, located in Warwick, and was one of the first to join the VDC on its formation in Warwick. When Australia came under threat in 1942, he enlisted in the AIF and was assigned to the medical staff on Army Hospital Ship “Centaur”.

Percy’s basic army training was at Morgan Park (Warwick) and Tenterfield, NSW, and on his posting to the Medical Staff of Army Hospital Ship “Centaur” received medical training at the Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital in Brisbane. His initial training was as an Orderly, then upgraded as a Theatre Orderly, and upgraded again to carry out Theatre Technician duties (Sterilization and Maintenance of theatre instruments).

On his last leave before taking up his posting on AHS Centaur Percy rode his push bike from Warwick to the Pratten family farm, about 30 miles, to say good-bye to his mother. His Good-Bye Bike Ride has become a family legend and treasured memory. He also had a studio photo taken and distributed to his immediate family.

Centaur was on her fourth voyage as a hospital ship and her second voyage to Port Moresby. While Centaur was being loaded in Sydney for what was to be her last voyage, the ship’s army medical staff were given leave and my father went to Taronga Park Zoo and bought a book for me about the animals in the Zoo.

The ship’s company on her last voyage numbered 332 made up of the Merchant Navy Crew, the Army Medical Staff assigned to the ship, and a Field Ambulance contingent being transported to Cairns.

At 4.10am on Friday, 14th May, 1943, Centaur was on her voyage north approximately 30 nautical miles east of the southern tip of Moreton Island when she was torpedoed by a Japanese Submarine. 64 personnel survived the sinking while 268 lost their lives.
Pte. CLEGG, Percy Lewis was one of those who lost his life, he was 39 years old.

My Mother never recovered from the telegram she received on Monday 17th May advising that “Percy was lost in action presumed drowned”. The specter of Centaur haunted my mother for the rest of her life.

Read about Southern Downs Military History here.