Percival James Stephens (SN59) was born in Bendigo but was a 23 year old working at the Ballarat Mental Asylum when he enlisted on March 23rd 1915. Attached to the Australian Army Medical Corps he embarked from Melbourne on May 18th and travelled via Fremantle, aboard the Wandilla to England. For the next 12 months he served as an orderly on voyages to and from Australia aboard the Mooltan and the Ulysses. In July 1916 he was assigned to join the 3rd Field Ambulance in France. On September 20th 1917 he was wounded in action, although his service record does not specify the nature of his wound. After the fighting ceased, he joined the Australian Graves Services Unit with whom he continued to serve in France. He then requested that he be discharged in England rather than being returned to Australia, his reason being his French wife who did not wish to leave France. He was discharged in London on March 12th 1922 after a total of six years and 300 days service abroad.

Lucas’s Staffs Appreciation of Brave Men, the original Avenue register, records his name as Percival J. Stevens.