Name
Percy Evershed (MSM)
11 July 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/05/1918
34
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Sergeant
G/4673
Royal Sussex Regiment
4th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Meritorious Service Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PERONNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
Mont St Quentin Cemetery Mem. 1
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Preston memorials, Washington War Memorial, Sussex, Ashington Parish Church Memorial, Sussex
Pre War
Percy Evershed was born on 11 July 1883 at Washington, nr Worthing, Sussex, the son of Daniel and Sarah Jane Evershed, and one of six children. He was baptised at St Mary's Church, Washington on 26 August 1883.
On the 1891 and 1901 Censuses the family were living at Rock, Washington, where his father was working as a bricklayer and Percy was a carpenter's apprentice in 1901.
By 1911 Percy had left the family home and was working as a carpenter and lodging with Thomas and Martha Peters in Church Lane, Preston, Herts, along with his younger brother Daniel. He was known as a good cricketer.
He married Kate Charman in Sussex in 1912 and they had a daughter Gladys on 15 December 1914. (She later lived at Ashington, Pulborough, Sussex).
Wartime Service
Percy enlisted in Hitchin and joined the 13th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment and was promoted to Sergeant.
It is not known when he was sent to France, but was occasionally posted back to England as a bomb throwing instructor and it was on 17 October 1917 at Newhaven, Sussex, during a training session which used live ammunition, that his prompt and courageous action saved a Lieutenant's life. One of the class dropped his bomb and Percy picked it up and threw it over the parapet. This selfless act was rewarded with the Meritorious Service medal for gallantry.
He was reported as having been badly wounded and possibly taken prisoner by the enemy and reported as missing on 26 April 1918. It seems that he was taken prisoner and died of his wounds. He was buried by the Germans in Mont St Quentin Cemetery and his grave has been lost.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Mont St Quentin Cemetery Memorial 1 in Peronne Communal Cemetery Extension, France.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £19 10s and pay owing of £12 0s 6d. She also received a pension of £1 2s 11d a week for herself and her daughter Gladys.
His brother Daniel, emigrated to Australia and served as Sergeant Major in the Australian Infantry. He was killed in action on 29 October 1918 and is buried at the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery.
Another brother Allen also emigrated to Australia and served in the Australian Infantry as Corporal. He was reported as missing on 16 April 1918 and later confirmed as killed in action.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Roll of Honour.com, Philip Wray - www.prestonherts.co.uk/page 137.html,
