Percy was a young lad when he lied about his age and joined the Royal Australian Airforce. He fought in many an air battles before begin caught and held in the Prisoner of War Camp.
Whilst we watched “The Great Escape” movie – Percy lived it. After endless months held in the war camp he was released at the end of the war. On that last day, he snuck into the camp office and took his photo from the files.

Carol, his daughter, recalled the day she found that photo and asked her dad to tell her why he pinched his photo….he quietly explained that he just didn’t want the camp to have anything of him. That would be the only story Percy would share of the time; but he willingly talked about his mates and the mischief that managed to get up to during his service life. He never lost his love of air craft and took even opportunity to visit air shows and museums especially when his beloved Spitfires were part of the day.

Percy never worried about dying. We were the ones who avoided talking about it – thinking we could make all those decisions later.
But dad knew his 5 children too well…all head strong and opinionated…. a trait clearly inherited from him. He talked about the times he said goodbye to all his mates and how unprepared they were to deal with these events. So he insisted we talk about dying with him.
I was truly struggling to plan his funeral with him, but the breakthrough came when I saw the Spitfire coffin. He thought it was a remarkable coffin. What was remarkable to me was sitting there whilst he held the Spitfire coffin photo and talked for hours about stories we had never heard– I treasure that time.

We learnt he wanted a simple church service, which surprised us as he was only ever in a church for weddings, christenings and Christmas mass which Mum insisted on.
The night Percy passed away, the five of us were sitting around his bed. I thought it was an interesting omen the movie The Great Escape was playing on TV in his room as he flew off to meet up with Mum again.
by Carol, youngest daughter Lest we forget....