Percy Leonard Wilson (SN 253) was a 22 year old pastry cook from Doveton Street North Ballarat at the time of his enlistment on March 13th 1916. After training in Ballarat and Geelong he embarked on the Ascanius on May 27th bound for England and France with the 39th Battalion. While undergoing further training in England he suffered lacerations to his leg caused by ‘bomb explosion’, the result of a mishap at the grenade training range. He moved to France in January 1917 and in June he was wounded in action (gassed) and evacuated to England for treatment, rejoining his unit in September. On February 4th 1918 he was again wounded in action, suffering a serious gunshot wound to his left forearm. He was able to rejoin his battalion just two weeks before the Armistice was signed. He left the U.K. on May 27th 1919 to return to Australia aboard the Rio Padro.
He died on 23rd March 1959 at Ballarat, at the age of 65.