Percy was born at Bacchus Marsh⁽⁴⁾, VIC in 1894 to Alfred George Osborne and Emily Drury.

DOD

Percy was a clerk at the Union Bank in Ballarat, VIC when he enlisted in the AIF, 19^th Reinforcements, 8^th Battalion on the 11^th of February 1916, aged a little over 21 - he had previously served four years in the Citizens Forces. He embarked aboard the HMAT A32 Themistocles in late July, disembarking at Plymouth, England in September where he was soon promoted to Corporal and then acting Lance Sergeant⁽¹⁾.

Shortly before he was due to embark for France in early December he was admitted to hospital suffering from erythemia. Percy was discharged from hospital in late January 1917 but was not well and was soon re-admitted to hospital and then transferred to Tidworth Military Hospital on the 31^st of January - unconscious. On the the 2^nd of February Percy died⁽²⁾⁽³⁾ of cerebro spinal meningitis and was buried a few days later in the Tidworth Military Cemetery.

He is listed on the Bacchus Marsh & District Roll of Honour. He is also remembered in the Coimadai Avenue of Honour and the Hamilton Anglican Church Honor Roll & Window

Notes

1. His rank was given as acting Lietenant in The Bacchus Marsh Express 17 Feb 1917
2. Percy wrote a letter in January 1917.
3. A report by Sergeant Ferguson 30 Jul 1918
4. His attestation form and the indexes of BDM state he was born in Bacchus Marsh but the Cemetery Register and Commonwealth War Graves Commission state Maryborough.