O'Toole, Percival Claude by Central Coast Council

Gosford District Casualties of World War One Bragg,Percival Edmund Allen Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Toole, Claude

Service ServiceNumber Number1494 852 Killed in Action 19th May 1915 Died of Wounds 25th May 1918 Gallipoli Narara,Peninsula Australia

Gosford City Council gratefully acknowledges the voluntary efforts of Benalyn Campbell And Vivienne Tranter in compiling this resource

The information in this file has been extracted from official records held in the The Australian War Memorial and National Archives of Australia (ÂŠ Commonwealth of Australia [National Archives of Australia] 2013) Further information on this soldier may be found online at: Commonwealth War Graves The AIF project Content advisory: This file may potentially contain disturbing accounts of service-related injury and death, disease and family grief. Adult supervision is recommended for children using these resources. Individual files should be viewed within the context provided by wider research on service conditions in the 1st AIF. This resource is presented by Gosford City Council for research purposes only. Please note that copyright for resources contained within remains with the original copyright owners.

NAME

O’Toole-Percival Claude

SERVICE NO

852

UNIT

36th Battalion-C Coy

RANK

Private

AGE at Enlistment

22 yrs 5 mths (1st attempt-failed) – 23yrs 7 mths

PLACE OF BIRTH ADDRESS

Mandurama, NSW(1st Attempt-failed) – Woy Woy NSW BDM- birth 1892-10153 reg Carcoar, ptns James & Jane Narara, via Gosford

OCCUPATION

Farmer-Labourer

DATE OF ENLISTMENT PLACE OF ENLISTMENT

1915- Jan 20th (1st Attempt-failed) –1915-March 23rd Discharged medically unfit 1915-Apr 7th- 1916-Feb 28th Liverpool, NSW (1st Attempt failed)- Newcastle

PREVIOUS SERVICE

NEXT OF KIN

Father;- James O’Toole “Tapersville” Narara

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

Height-5’ 11½” Weight-146 lbs. Chest-32½-35½” Complexion-Dark. Eyes-Blue. Hair-Dark (Brown) Scar right cheek, Scar right & left knee & leg

RELIGION

R/C

EMBARKED

1916-May 13th Sydney- A72 “Beltana”

DISEMBARKED

1916 Jul 2nd - Plymouth

NOTES

1916-May 23-On board ship- Improper language to NCO-stoppage of smoking & meals 3 days, under charge of Sentry. 1916-Nov 22 Proceeded to France from Southampton

WOUNDED/ILLNESS

1916-Dec 15- Influenza in field France 1916-Dec 27- Dangerously ill Pleurisy 1917-Jan 21 – Admitted to hospital Bristol 1917-May 14- Transf to 3rd Aux Hosp England 1917-Jul 15 - Bolo Isolation Hospital Weymouth England 1917-Sept 5- Adm Hq- to be returned to Australia- TB Lung & DAH

DIED

1918- May 25th- Narara

BURIED

Bradys’ Gully Cemetery Nth Gosford

MEDALS

British War Medal no.44841 Victory Medal No. 43836

CORRESPONDENCE

1917-Feb 12 Letter from Mrs O’Toole;- states cable received did not state which of her sons was in hospital, she goes on to state she had four sons fighting, one died of wounds in France, one just returned wounded at Gallipoli & two still serving overseas.

DISCHARGED

Returned Australia per “Pakeha” 1917-Oct 25th Discharged medically unfit- 1918- Apr 24th

Gosford Times November 15th 1917 Return Thanks Mr and Mrs O’Toole and family beg to tender sincere thanks to their many friends for cards, letters, telegrams, and other expressions of sympathy (especially to Mesdames Wallace Moore, Dessey, Sergeant Goldsmith, Harris, Shaw, Gribble, Gell, Miss Jessie Pateman, Dr. Duncan, Father Kelly, Sisters of St. Joseph, and the ladies of the Red Cross Society in their recent sad bereavement.

Gosford Times November 22nd 1917 Private Percy O’Toole, who was invalided home from the war about six months ago, and has since been in the military and latterly in a Sanitorium on the Mountains, has returned home, and is still in indifferent health.

Gosford Times November 29th 1917 Roll of Honor O-Toole—In loving memory of Private ??? O’Toole. 36th Battalion, who dies May 25th 1918, after being invalided home. Aged 23 years 9 months. He feared not death, when Honour summoned him to Britain’s aid; Now he rests in shrouds of glory, every debt of Honour paid. Inserted by Florrie

Gosford Times May 30th 1918 RETURN THANKS MR & MRS O’TOOLE AND FAMILY beg to tender sincere thanks to their many friends for cards, letters, telegrams, and other expressions of sympathy (especially to Mesdames Wallace, Moore, Deasey, Sergeant, Goldsmith, Harris, Shaw, Gribble, Gell, Miss Jessie Pateman, Dr. Duncan, Father Kelly, Sisters of St. Joseph, and the ladies of the Red Cross Society) in their recent sad bereavement.

Gosford Times April 24th 1918 Another Hero Gone Private Percy O’Toole, son of Mr and Mrs James O’Toole, of Narara, passed away on Saturday morning last, aged 24 years and 10 months. Deceased was a returned soldier. He enlisted on 24th February, 1916, and went into camp at Broadmeadow. Joining Carmichael’s Thousand he sailed for the front on 13th May, 1916, and was six weeks in the trenches in France when he developed pneumonia and was invalided home after being four months in hospitals in France and Cheltenham, England. He left Weymouth on August 26 of last year and landed in Sydney on October 26, and was under medical treatment up to the time of his death. The remains were interred in the Catholic portion of Brady’s Gully cemetery. Rev. Father Gell, in the absence of Rev. Father Kelly, conducted the burial service. Deceased was accorded a military funeral. The coffin was draped by the Union Jack, and the ladies of the Red Cross marched in the sad funeral procession. Mr Mac Hitchcock sounded the “Last Post” bugle call and a squad of soldiers, under Lieut. Coulter, fired a volley over the grave. We sympathise deeply with the bereaved parents and family, but they have the consolation of knowing that their brave son and brother gave his life in the service of his country.

Gosford Times June 13th 1918 RETURN THANKS MR & MRS JAS O’TOOLE & FAMILY beg to tender their sincere thanks to Mrs B Olsen and the Committee of the No 1 Red Cross Branch, Narara, for their kind letter of sympathy in their recent sad bereavement.

Gosford Times August 22nd 1918, pg. 10 Welcome Home Private John Cecil O’Toole, second eldest son of Mr. And Mrs. James O’Toole, of Narara, enlisted in September, 1915, and said for the war by the Osterley in January, 1916, his destination being Egypt. After being in the Land of the Pharaohs for about six weeks Private O’Toole was ordered over to France and Belgium, where he was on active service up till 15th November of last year, when he was struck by a bullet through the lungs in the battle of Passendale. After being in hospital for three months, he spent some time in a convalescent camp and was then invalided home, arriving in Sydney on 1st August. On Monday evening the returned hero was entertained at a welcome home social held in the School of Arts under the auspices of the Girls’ Patriotic Society. Cr. F.R. Archbold, President of the Shire, acted as chairman, and in his speech of welcome referred to the fact that Private O’Toole was one of four sons of Mr and Mrs O’Toole, of Narara, who had enlisted. One had been killed in action, and another brother had died at his father’s home some few months ago from lung trouble contracted while on active service. Mr and Mrs O’Toole must indeed be proud of their brave sons, and while they mourned for their loved ones who had given life for their King and Country, they could rest assured that the people mourned with them. A dead hero was better than a stay at home (he wouldn't say a coward, because the British Empire didn't breed cowards, though it took some of our young men a long time to learn what was their duty). In thanking Private O’Toole for all the he had done, he wished him long life to look back with pride on the part he had played in the service of his country. The chairman concluded with a reference to the 7th War Loan and the duty that devolved upon Erina Shire to contribute its quota of £40,000. Mr FA Stayne, President of the Parents and Citizens’ Association, said he was there that evening to pay a tribute of praise to the bravery and patriotism of their guest—they all appreciated the services rendered to his country by Private O’Toole, who, like thousands of other gallant Australians, had proved themselves to be true-blooded cubs of the old British lion. Four sons who had enlisted! If we had more fathers and mothers like Mr and Mrs O’Toole, there would be no need to talk about Conscription. They were the kind of parents that had made what the British Empire was today. To Private O’Toole he extended the hand of welcome. In fighting for his country he had nobly done his duty, and had earned a name that no money could buy, and won a high place in the esteem and affection of the people. Other speakers were Messrs Whittell, Davies, Hills, Paul, Fagan, and Sergeant Forrest. The Chairman apologised for the absence through ill health of Rev. A. Renwick, and said that under the circumstances he had been deputed by the Girls’ Patriotic Society to present Private O’Toole with an inscribed gold medal in honor of three years’ service to his country. In responding Private O’Toole thanked the speakers for their elementary references to his parents and himself. He specially wished to thank the ladies who had looked after them so well on the other side by supplying parcels of comforts. Only the soldiers themselves knew how welcome the parcels were, and how cheering it was to know that the womenfolk at home did not forget the boys fighting in foreign lands. Since his return home he had been welcomed everywhere, and he thanked the people for coming there that night and the ladies who had organised the social. During the evening the following programme was rendered, commencing with the National Anthem : - Overture, “Concert Gallop,” Mrs. A. Cohen ; song, “Joan of Arc,” Miss M. Guerin ; Chorus, “It’s the Navy,” Miss Alma Braithwaite and Girls ; dance (jig), Miss Alice Cohen ; song, “Whst Percy Picked up in the Park,” Miss Elizabeth Cohen ; song “When the Joy Bells Ring,” Miss J Aldenhoven (Syoney) ; monologue, “Hallo, My Dearie,” Miss Alice Cohen ; recitation, “The Ballad of Splendid Silence,” Mr A Harvey ; song “A Perfect Day,” Miss Alms Braithwaite, “Ruie Brittanis,” the company. After cheers had been given for the boys at the front, refreshments were handed round, and later a dance programme carried things on till midnight.

Gosford Times May 22nd 1919, pg. 8 Roll of Honour O’Toole—In loving memory of Private Perce O’Toole, late 36th Battalion, who died May 25th, 1918, after being invalided home. Aged 23 years 9 months. He feared not death, when Honour summoned him to Britain's aid ; Now he rests in shrouds of glory, every debt of Honour paid. Inserted by Florrie. Gosford Times May 22nd 1919, pg. 8 Return Thanks Mr and Mrs Jas O’Toole and family beg to tender their sincere thanks to Mrs B Olsen and the Committee of the No. 1 Red Cross Branch, Narara, for their kind letter of sympathy in their recent sad bereavement.

Gosford Times October 23rd 1919, pg. 8 Mr James O’Toole General regret was experienced on all sides when the sad news became known on Tuesday that Mr. James O’Toole had passed away at 6 o’clock that morning, the cause of death being an internal cancer, from which he had suffered acutely for some months past. Three months ago he went to Sydney, where the medical fraternity pronounced his case hopeless, and refused to operate. Deceased, who was 65 years of age, was a native of Braidwood district, and during the earlier part of his life was attached to the railway service. Of later years be successfully engaged in farming pursuits, and five years ago came to Gosford, where he resided up to the time of his death. A widow survives him, and there was a family of three daughters and six sons, four of whom answered the Empire’s call in defence of civilisation and on (Austin) made the supreme sacrifice on the battlefields of France, while another (Percy) died after being invalided home. The remains were interred yesterday in the Catholic portion of Brady’s Gully cemetery, the Very Rev. Father McIntyre performing the last sad rites at the graveside. Mr. R.H. Creighton had charge of the mortuary arrangements.

Abridged record/s courtesy of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) Series No: B2455 Item Barcode: 8000242