Sergeant Percy Statton V.C.Print Page

The memorial garden and plaque commemorate Victoria Cross and Military Medal recipient, Sergeant Percy Statton (1890-1959), who was educated at Zeehan.

The garden was opened on the 12th August 2018 and includes the plaque which was previously unveiled in his honour. The event marked the passing of 100 years since the former Zeehan student received the Victoria Cross for gallantry on the Western Front during World War One.

Percy Statton was born in Beaconsfield, Tasmania and was farming when he enlisted in 1916. Serving as a sergeant during the First World War, Statton was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1918 following his assault on four German machine guns. With three men, Statton rushed the posts armed with only a revolver and succeeded in capturing the first gun. Moving to the second, he killed the crew of five himself before the two remaining gun crews were forced to retreat. Later in the evening he went out again and bought back two badly wounded men. For this he was awarded the Victoria cross.

His actions over three days in June 1917 leading troops under heavy artillery and machine gun fire also earned him the Military Medal. He was wounded in 1917, gassed in 1918 and was discharged from the army in 1920. After the war he worked in the Tasmanian timber industry and was praised for his heroism in rescuing families cut by bushfires in 1934.

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