Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Assessment/Percy Storkey

Article promoted by Hawkeye7 (talk) via MilHistBot (talk) 00:20, 2 April 2020 (UTC) &laquo; Return to A-Class review list

Percy Storkey
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Reverting back to a WWI biography for an A-Class nomination after a couple of WWII aviation-related biographies, Percy Storkey was a New Zealander who served with the Australian Imperial Force and was awarded a VC for his actions during the Spring Offensive. In civilian life he had a lengthy legal career. The article was expanded and underwent a GA review back in 2018 and I've made a few tweaks since. Thanks in advance to the reviewers who stop by for this one. Zawed (talk) 06:48, 4 March 2020 (UTC)

Support Comments from AustralianRupert: G'day, Zawed, thanks for your efforts on this article. I have the following suggestions: AustralianRupert (talk) 10:03, 6 March 2020 (UTC)


 * suggest linking dux
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * the infobox provides a date of 1910 for the start of his military service, but I couldn't find this in the body of the article. The ADB article says he served in the Wellington Regiment for five years, which one presumes took place before he moved to Sydney in 1911, although I'm not sure if that is possible given his age?
 * I agree the length of service in the Wellington Regiment seems implausible given his age when he went to Australia (note that I've identified an inconsistency in the sources regarding his year of birth). I've amended the infobox to just state his WWI service. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)
 * No worries, works for me. AustralianRupert (talk) 08:12, 8 March 2020 (UTC)
 * I have a theory that potentially some or all of his service in New Zealand might have been as a senior cadet (and maybe in the General Training Section) under the compulsory training scheme. If he came to Australia in 1911 (and had in fact been born in 1891) it seems possible, but of course this is just speculation on my part. Regards, AustralianRupert (talk) 08:19, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * suggest mentioning that at Victoria College, he studied fine arts (They Dared Mightily, 1986, p. 116)
 * Done. I have the 1963 edition of They Dared Mightily, which I didn't think to look at it for this article. Some of the info you noted is in the 1963 edition, but not all of it so am relying on your extraction from the 1986 edition. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * suggest mentioning that he enlisted on 10 May 1915 and was commissioned on 24 September 1915 (Wigmore, They Dared Mightily, 2nd edition, 1986, p. 116)
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * per p.32 of the service record he reached the rank of colour sergeant in Wellington Battalion; passed NCO Depot School, and served as a platoon sergeant with the 30th Battalion prior to commissioning (see p. 32 and 38)
 * Thanks for the steer, I have added this. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * link Company (military unit)
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * embarked aboard Suevic from Sydney on 20 December 1915, per page 9 of his service record at the NAA, which can be found here:
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * discharged from the AIF in January 1919; according to They Dared Mightily p. 117, he was allocated to the Reserve of Officers on 1 July 1920
 * while a Crown prosecutor, he was assigned to the south-west of the state (Goulburn, Albury, Deniliquin, Hay, Wyalong and Broken Hill) -- They Dared Mightily p. 117
 * Referred to the south-west of the state but not the towns - I thought if these were linked it would be a sea of blue. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)
 * No worries, that makes sense. AustralianRupert (talk) 08:12, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * he was active in the RSL and was president of the Vaucluse sub branch -- They Dared Mightily p. 117
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * he worked for the Army Legal Department briefly in 1938-39 before joining the District Court -- They Dared Mightily p. 117
 * Done. Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)


 * returned to Australia in October 1918 --> according to ADB and They Dared Mightily (p. 117), he returned on 26 November
 * Have revised., thanks for the review comments, I have responded as above. Cheers, Zawed (talk) 07:50, 8 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Nice work. Regards, AustralianRupert (talk) 08:12, 8 March 2020 (UTC)

Image review - pass
Both images are appropriately licenced, positioned and captioned. Gog the Mild (talk) 11:30, 10 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks ! Zawed (talk) 07:01, 19 March 2020 (UTC)

Comments Support by PM
Great article. I have a few comments:
 * Lead
 * suggest "Battle of Passchendaele in 1917"
 * suggest "It was during the German Spring Offensive of early 1918"
 * Body
 * for commissioning, link Officer (armed forces)
 * "in the 30th Battalion"
 * "and killed or wounded about 30 more" per citation
 * "president of the sub-branch" in the RSL, states have branches, suburbs and towns have sub-branches
 * I'd prefer a births, deaths and marriages source or a reliable secondary source for his year of birth rather than his enlistment papers, many soldiers falsified their year of birth for various reasons
 * Yes, it makes sense to go with the reliable source for year of birth. I've adjusted the article accordingly and rephrased the note that follows mention of his birth in the early life section. Zawed (talk) 05:35, 29 March 2020 (UTC)

That's it. Nice job. If you are doing any other Aussie/NZ VCs, let me know, I'll send you the relevant pages of For Valour which is the most recent and is pretty comprehensive. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 00:53, 28 March 2020 (UTC)
 * I have Blanch and Pegram's For Valour, and the following material could be added:
 * the administrative and library staff of the university presented him with a wristwatch before he embarked p. 203
 * Storkey's first wound at Flers was a gunshot wound to his thigh p. 203
 * his second wound was while travelling along the Menin Road near Ypres, and was a slight wound to his ankle p. 203
 * his return to Australia was presumably to assist with the recruiting effort, but the war ended not long afterwards p. 203
 * the district court judge he was associate to was Mr Justice Charles Wade, former Premier of NSW p. 203
 * while a barrister he worked the country circuit of Goulburn, Albury, Deniliquin, Hay, Wyalong and Broken Hill p. 203
 * he was appointed crown prosecutor in 1925 p. 203
 * he is the only VC recipient to be elevated to the bench in Australia p. 203
 * in 1910, he won the Navy League Special Prize for his essay "Why Britain must command the sea" p. 202
 * they say he moved to Sydney in 1912, not 1911 p. 202
 * I've sent you a scan of p. 202 which expands on the action for which he received the VC
 * , thanks for the review and delving into your copy of Blanch & Pegram. I have expanded on much on the points identified. Cheers, Zawed (talk) 05:35, 29 March 2020 (UTC)
 * No worries, supporting. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 06:06, 29 March 2020 (UTC)

Support by Gog the Mild

 * "he was appointed a District Court judge" Why the upper case initial letters? (In the lead and in the article.)
 * It seemed appropriate as I thought it a specific noun but then I noticed that Derkenne uses lower case. I've switched it now. Zawed (talk) 07:56, 1 April 2020 (UTC)


 * "By this time, a machine gun fire had caused" Delete "a", or change to 'By this time, the fire of a machine gun had caused' dependent on source.
 * That was an error. Fixed. Zawed (talk) 07:56, 1 April 2020 (UTC)


 * "was much larger than it seemed" "seemed" or 'was'?
 * Was - fixed. Zawed (talk) 07:56, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

And that's all I have. Nice one. Gog the Mild (talk) 13:19, 29 March 2020 (UTC)
 * , Thanks for stopping by to look at this one. I have responded as above. Cheers, Zawed (talk) 07:56, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

If one of you would care to sign off on the sourcing, then this one is done. Gog the Mild (talk) 09:56, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

Source review - the sources are reliable and of high quality. Peacemaker67 (click to talk to me) 10:13, 1 April 2020 (UTC)