William and Edward were brothers, they were born a couple of years apart in Bristol in the early 1850’s. They lived in a predominately female household. They grew up in Bristol, married in the beautiful Holy Trinity Church and raised their families in Bristol, between them they had 16 children. William and Edward died within a year of each other when they were in their mid 80’s in Bristol.
Amongst their children were two boys born a year apart. Percy and John were cousins.
In 1914, when they were in their early twenties, Percy and John decided to come to Australia. Both lived and worked in Sydney. In July 1915 they both travelled to Liverpool [Sydney] and enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion.
Percy and John travelled to Egypt on the troopship Warilla and trained at Tel-el-Kebir Camp. Percy was then transferred to the 56th Battalion, and John to the 54th. John was later transferred back into the 56th. They both served on the Western Front, seeing action at Fromelles, The Somme, Bullecourt and Passchendaele, they were both at the liberation of Villers-Bretonneux in 1918.
Percy and John were both wounded, receiving gunshot wounds at different times and were both sent to Hurdcott Military Camp Hospital in Salisbury, England. In 1917 both took their leave in Bristol, John to be married and Percy to visit his family.
When the war was over they returned, in 1919, by troopship to Australia, John accompanied by his wife and baby son. John returned home within a few years, and had a second son, he died in 1956. Percy remained in Australia, he died in 1963.
Percy and John Wintle never met, Percy never knew he had a cousin, or an uncle called Edward.
Percy was my father and William was my grandfather.
added by bern
Bev Pieremont, November 2012
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