Name
Percy William Gale
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/11/1914
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
7942
Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star (with Clasp & Roses), British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES TOWN CEMETERY EXTENSION
II. A. 27.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Hitchin memorials, Not on the Barnet memorials
Pre War
Percy was born in Hitchin around 1887 in Hitchin and his father was named William.
His connection to Hitchin is established in the Soldiers Died In The Great War database (SDITGW) and confirmed in the 1911 census recorded on April 5th. At that time he was 24 a soldier in the 1st Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in Wellington Barracks (now Srinagesh Barracks) , Wellington, Nilgiris, India. Beyond this his history has, so far, been difficult to establish.
In 1891 there is a Percy ‘Giles’, born in Hitchin and living with his grandparents (James and Eliza Davies) at Greenman Cottage, Offley, near Hitchin. However, he is 2 years older and with the surname spelt incorrectly, this appears to be unlikely. In fact 10 years later he appears to be in the Parish of Camberwell living with his parents’ George and Mahala Giles and so he must be the wrong man. Then there are number of Percy W Gales listed but none found give the birth location as Hitchin.
The Soldiers Died In The Great War database records that he was born in Hitchin, Herts. and was living Barnet, Herts there when he enlisted in London.
Wartime Service
As established above, Percy served in the 1st Battalion, Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry in India. They moved to Mesopotamia on 27 November 1914.
Percy’s medal card show that he entered France on 14 August 1914 and died with the 2nd Battalion, who were in Aldershot when war was declared and landed in Boulogne on the 14 August 1914 as part of the 5th Brigade in 2nd Division. So all this strongly suggests that Percy was already in England when war was declared and was, or had been, posted the 2nd Battalion before going to France.
Percy died on 3 November 1914, but SDTGW suggests this was of wounds received suggesting that the wound were on or before the 3rd. Around that time the Battalion was in the trenches near Klein Zillebeke, Belgium and suffered a significant amount of shelling. On the 1st 7 men were killed, 44 wounded and 13 were missing, on the 2nd 1 man was wounded and on the 3rd 1 man was killed and 10 were wounded.
Additional Information
After his death £9 7s 5d pay owing was authorised to go to his father William on 15 March 1915. Later, a war gratuity of £5 was authorised to be paid to him on 23 June 1919.
His pension cards have not been found.
Percy’s father, William, applied for his medals on 20 April 1919, while living at 15 Thornton Road, High Barnet
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild
