Percival joined the Officer Training Corp at the age of 26 during World War I. As a military officer, he had an excellent track record. Percival earned a French 'Croix de Guerre' (Cross of War) decoration for
bravery after leading a successful counter-attack that saved a unit of French artillery from capture. He
was also awarded a UK Distinguished Service Order, which noted his "power of command and
In Malaya, Percival was the Chief of Staff for two years (1936 to 1938) before promoted as the General
Officer-Commanding (GOC) of Malaya in 1941. It was logical to assume that Percival had completed
knowledge of tactics" and was described as "very efficient" and recommended for higher command
Q5) Why was there such a drastic difference in how Percival was viewed? What had resulted in this
Source 82:
his role well enough to take over the command,
Q4) How was Percival described in the sources of Set A and Set B?
change?
Q6) In reality, do you think Percival had changed that much? Explain your answer.