Scroop: Percy George
Born in Cherry Gardens, South Australia to James and Mary Eliza Scroop on 9th October 1893, Percy attended the local state school.
He worked as a sawyer and farm-labourer before enlisting in the 9th Light Horse Regiment on 18th August 1915. His papers state that Percy stood 5’9” (176cm), weighed 156lbs (71Kg), had blue eyes and brown hair and was a member of the Coromandel Valley Methodist Church.
Before embarking for overseas service, Trooper Scroop, 1601, spent some time in the Keswick Military Hospital suffering from Measles. He embarked for Egypt on 18th November 1915 aboard the HMAT Geelong A2 from Outer Harbor, Adelaide.
After arriving in Egypt, Tooper Scroop was promoted to Lance-Corporal on 27th March 1916. Later that year, he transferred to the 3rd Brigade Light Horse Machine-gun Squadron. Percy saw action against the Turks in the Canal Zone, near Afion-Kara-Hisser, which is where he was reported missing in action on 9th August 1916. This was confirmed as Missing, believed captured as a Prisoner of War (PoW) later that month.
Sadly, Percy died from Dysentery as a POW on 28th Dec 1916. Former PoW 958 Trooper G Roberts gave evidence to this effect on 3rd Jan 1919. His statement said that Percy Scroop died from Typhus brought on by marching through snow for six miles in scant clothing and was buried along the road to Angora, Turkey. Percy’s death was confirmed by information received from the Turks and by a cable, E 27536 from London, on 2nd June 1917.
In November 1927, his family was notified that a Kipling Memorial was being erected in Baghdad, IRAQ, to commemorate those who had died as PoWs. The names of 265 former PoWs were to be inscribed on the memorial as they had no known place of burial.
His mother wrote to the CWG asking that “Born at Cherry Gardens, South Australia” be inscribed next to the name of Percy Scroop.
Research by Geoff Lock, 2015
