Nineteen year old Percy was one of the first from the Shire to enlist after volunteer recruiting began in Australia enlisting on 10 August 2014. He was allocated to the 8^th Infantry Battalion embarking from Melbourne on board HMAT Benalla on 19 October 1914. After a brief stop in Albany, Western Australia, the battalion proceeded to Egypt, arriving on 2 December. Percy spent most the entire trip in hospital with piles and later in isolation because of measles. Percy took part in the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915, as part of the second wave. Ten days after the landing, the 2nd Brigade was transferred from ANZAC to Cape Helles to help in the attack on the village of Krithia. The attack captured little ground but cost the brigade almost a third of its strength. Percy was one of the casualties of this campaign, he was killed in action on 2 May 1915.