4th Light Horse Regiment
Memorial Association
Percy was an original enlistee with the 4th Light Horse. He was a 5ft 7ins, 10½ stone, Presbyterian, 24 year-
Our President, Susan Meyer, notes that “Percy was best mates with my Great Uncle Jock Henderson, they enlisted together (Jock was given 420 and Percy was allocated 421) and served on Gallipoli together. During the August Offensive attack, when the 4thLHR was conducting diversionary assaults on the Turks, Percy was injured by shrapnel wounds to both thighs.” In a letter home to his father in April 1916 Jock hoped that Percy was OK. “Has he made it home to Australia yet? I carried him down to the CCS (Casualty Clearing Station) on the beach the day he got injured."
Percy’s military “Crime” sheet might have shown a few episodes of forfeitures of pay and a couple of remand sessions but he served his country at Gallipoli and in Egypt and was awarded the 1914-
After being released from hospital Percy was expecting to be deployed to France. However, due to the combination of his leg wounds, the continuing issues resulting from frost bite and persistent health problems affecting his eyes it was decided he should be returned to Australia.
He left Egypt on 11 Apr 1916 and returned home on the hospital ship Runic. He was discharged as ‘medically unfit – contracted muscle left thigh’ in September 1916.
Reunited after the war, Jock Henderson and Percy continued their close association. Susan Meyer explains “Even three generations later the Hendersons and Holloways are friends still, some personal links are timeless!”
Percy married Ellen Kemp and fathered Roy, Eunice, Gordon, Douglas, Bruce, Graham and Ian. Percy and Ellen share a headstone in the Ballarat Cemetery.
Many years later and after surviving Gallipoli, unfortunately Percy made the 1953 Easter headlines. The Age of Wed 8 Apr reported “14th Holiday Crash Death.”
“Percy Holloway, 62, of Sebastopol Street, Ballarat, died in hospital yesterday from injuries received on Monday night when a utility truck in which he was a passenger crashed into an electric light pole at Gong Gong.
The two other men who were in the' truck 'are in hospital. The men were returning from a fishing trip. Mr. Holloway's death brought the total of road deaths in Victoria during the holidays to 14.”
Percy is buried in the Ballarat New Cemetery – Area: Private G, Section: 6, Row: 2, Grave: 11.
He is commemorated by Tree 165 in the Ballarat Avenue of Honour and is listed on the Redan State School Roll of Honor (sic). (Redan is a suburb of Ballarat)
Proudly submitted by Susan Meyer to honour her Great Uncle’s good mate
421 Tpr Percy (Percival Charles) Holloway
Tpr Percy Holloway standing beside his younger brother Pvt Roy V Holloway (327).
Enlisting at age 17, Roy served with the 14th Battalion, and was one of those who landed on Gallipoli on the first day. Later, when serving on the Western Front, Roy was taken prisoner at the 1st Battle of Bullecourt, 11 Apr 1917. He had to serve the next 20 months at Soltau P.O.W. Camp in Northern Germany.
Percy and Ellen named their first born son Roy.
Percy Holloway in Egypt, 1915
There are no known details for this photo, other than it was taken on Gallipoli. Susan Meyer says that it always reminds her of Jock carrying his wounded cobber, Percy, to the aid station.
The WW1 Roll of Honour from Percy & Roy’s old primary school
Percy & Ellen’s headstone