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Western Mail, Thursday, 12 December 1929, p. 2.
Major Percy Black, D.S.O., D.C.M. 'The Old Sixteenth." the history of the 16th Battalion A.I.F., has been dedicated "to the memory of Percy Black and those other gallant men of the battalion who gave their lires for Australia. 1914-1918." The career of Major Black symbolises the spirit of democracy and comradeship which was such a feature of A.I.F. life. Those who soldiered with him knew Percy Black as an unassuming, modest man whom risk from the raids and fame left unchanged in character and demeanour. He was a veteran of the camp and the trail before the war, who, as a young man had followed the lure of gold to icy Klondyke. In the early years of this century he was to be found blazing lone tracks through the back country of Western Australia, and when war broke out was located on a mine near Southern Cross, which he was confident would bring him the wealth for which he had battled so many years.
When the call came, however, Percy Black had no hesitation in deciding the path to follow. Blackboy Hill saw him early, and he was a lance-corporal in the machine gun section of the 16th Battalion at the landing on Gallipoli. His work there earned him recognition and even on the Peninsula, where bravery was an every-day affair, Percy Black was known and talked about in every trench and bivouac. Wounds came his way, but he never left his posts. Promotion and decorations followed and he was a captain when he left with the final party at the evacuation of Gallipoli.
In France he obtained his majority and when the battalion took part in Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. At the latter place he was badly-wounded through the neck. In the Bullecourt tragedy, his company had taken two objectives and was held up by the wire of the third. It was while he was looking for a gap to lead his men through that a German-marksman aimed true and a very gallant gentleman fell dead across the wire.
Few men cared less for fame than Percy Black. Few fighting soldiers became so famous. The 16th Battalion is proud to claim him, but Percy Black belongs to the A.I.F. For if there was one man who embodied the spirit, the courage and the tenacity of the A.I.F., that man was Percy Black.