Date of birth: 25/07/1897

Place of birth: Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia

Last known residence: Duke Street, Gympie, Queensland, Australia

Profession: Mechanic

Country: Australia

Force: Australian Imperial Force

Rank: Private

Service number: 3696

Enlistment date: 31/08/1915

Enlistment place: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Units:  —  Australian Infantry, 25th Bn. (Queensland)  (Last known unit)

Date of death: 04/10/1917

Place of death: Daisy Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgium

Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.)

Age: 20

British War Medal Medal

Victory Medal Medal

John Percival Allan, a former mechanic and mining engineer apprentice, was born on 25 July 1897 in Charters Towers, Queensland, Australia. On 31 August 1915 he enlisted at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. John Percival served as a Private in the 25th Infantry Battalion A.I.F., part of the 7th Australian Brigade, of the 2nd Australian Division. He embarked on 21 March 1916 and disembarked in France on six days later. On 13 October 1916 Private Allan suffered a head wound in the Ypres salient when a bomb exploded near him. By November 1916 he had recovered and re-joined his battalion on the 18th that month.

On 4 October 1917, the 25th Infantry Battalion participated in the Battle of Broodseinde, part of the Battle of Passchendaele. The 7th Australian Brigade was tasked with clearing the ruins of Zonnebeke village and advancing to capture Daisy Wood. The 25th Battalion would lead the attack of the 7th Brigades, securing the area just east of Thames Wood. After the village was captured, they encountered heavy machine-gun fire from Daisy Wood as the brigade reached the top of Broodseinde ridge. They consolidated along an old British trench from 1914-1915 just in front of Daisy Wood, 200 yards (180 meters) short of their objective. A German counterattack caused heavy casualties among the Australians, but they held the position.

John Percival Allan, aged 20, was killed in action on October 4, 1917. Private Allan was initially buried near Daisy Wood at 28.D.23.c.10.80. His Red Cross Wounded and Missing file of Charles Gustav Holding it states that Private Holding, Private Jeffrey, and Private Allan were buried together after being killed by a shell. The three men were exhumed and identified by their identity tags in April 1921. Their remains were interred at Bedford House Cemetery, Enclosure 4, Plot 3, row C, grave 11.

25th Infantry Battalion (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/42/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1342858 Sources used

7th Infantry Brigade (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM4 23/7/26). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1346531 Sources used

Australian Red Cross Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), RCDIG1064166). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

Doneley, B. Black over Blue, The 25th Battalion, A.I.F. at War, 1915-1918 (Queensland: USQ Press, 1997), 101-104. Sources used

First Australian Imperial Force Personnel Dossiers, 1914-1920 (National Archives of Australia, Canberra (NAA), B2455). https://www.naa.gov.au/ Sources used

McCarthy, Chris. Passchendaele the day-by-day account (London: Uniform, London, 2018), 110-113. Sources used

Studio portrait of 3696 Private John Percival Allan, 25th Battalion. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1208902 Sources used

Unit embarkation nominal rolls, 1914-18 War (Australian War Memorial, Campbell (AWM), AWM8). https://www.awm.gov.au/ Sources used

The AIF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=2766

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/483762

Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=78b104b6-5314-4331-80c5-7d7a20a874ae

Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7340415