This text from the document found at: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/about/staff/publications/paul-nation/WCNations-memoirs.doc
W.C. Nation’s memoirs
[The original version of these memoirs are in a hand written school exercise book now in the possession of Peter Nation of 9 Duna Place, Palmerston North. They were written in 1921, see page 8 of this document.] [Items in square brackets were not in the original document.]
...
Percy was the youngest. He was quick of intellect, but excitable. At school he got on well, and could use his fists when set upon. When we came to Shannon from Greytown he came with us and took out the papers. When I got up entertainments in Greytown Percy was very good as a performer, and in Shannon he was the same. When the Boer war broke out he caught the war spirit and begged us to let him go. He feared he would not pass as a soldier, so he practised with dumb-bells; and so intent was he on going that he went to a blacksmith (Austice) and learned how to shoe horses for, said he "if I cannot get away in the ranks I will try to get as assistant shoer of horses". Then he bought a sax horn and learnt all the bugle calls, so that he could go as bugler if other means failed. He went into camp at Newtown Park, Duncan Anderson, his chum, going with him. They went all through the war together and both fell together at Bothasberg. [There is a memorial to him and Duncan Anderson in Shannon near the old railway station behind the large war memorial.]