Name
Percy Walter Hartt
12 October 1877
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
29/10/1915
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Driver
545
Royal Horse Artillery
1st/1st Berks Battery
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
D.168
Egypt
Headstone Inscription
UNTIL THE DAWNING OF A BRIGHTER DAY FAREWELL WIFE AND CHILDREN
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Ickleford memorials
Pre War
Percy Walter Hartt was born on 12 October 1877 in St Pancras, London, the son of Edward and Louisa Hartt. but was not baptised until 5 August 1885 at St John the Evangelist, Lambeth, along with brothers Edward Albert (born 1878) and Arthur William (born 1880).
On the 1881 Census the family were living at 83 Guildford Street, St Pancras where his father was working as a Commercial Clerk. He attended St Andrew's School in Lambeth in 1885, (father's occupation given at that time as a theatrical manager and address as 150 York Road, Waterloo, Lambeth), then Ivy Dale Road School, Southwark from 17 Sep 1888.
The family were living at 44 Duncan Terrace, Islington on the 1891 Census and 14 year old Percy was listed as an Apprentice. They had moved to West Ham by 1901 and were living at 61 Bolton Road. Percy was then employed as a Commercial Clerk.
Percy married Eleanor McMahon in 1909 at Staines and on the 1911 Census he was living with his wife and daughter Phyllis, aged 1, at 74 Hythe Park Road, Staines, and working as a builder's merchant's traveller. They later had three more daughters.
On enlistment he was living in Reading and he gave his occupation as ironmonger.
(later of 15 Altmore Avenue, East Ham, London).
Wartime Service
Percy had served in the Berkshire Royal Horse Artillery for 3 years before signing up in September 1914 at Reading and joining the Royal Horse Artillery.
He embarked on the Avonmouth for Egypt on 9 April 1915 and arrived at Alexandria on 24 April 1915. He was admitted to the 127th Indian Field Ambulance at Ismalia on 4 September 1915 and transferred to Cairo the same day.
Extract from Service Record "About 1st September last stated that he had apparently a Vertiginous attack at 8 a.m. one morning, fell down and remained unconscious for about five hours but was at his work as usual two days after. A week later had a similar attack and was unconscious about two hours, and another similar attack at an interval of another week. On admission to Citadel Hospital, he complained of severe headaches and of loss of vision, which was not accounted for on examination of eyes. On the 29th October, as he was about to leave for England he was suddenly taken ill and lapsed into unconsciousness, became deeply Comatose, Pupils insensitive to light, Right Dilated, Paresis of right side of Face, Knee jerks exaggerated, Ankle Clonus marked, Babinski Sign present, Fundus Occuli normal. The Temp; rose to 103o in the afternoon and he died at 8.15 pm 29 October 1915. The cause of death was a Myxomatous Tumour occupying the Left Occipital Lobe of Brain."
Citadel, Cairo
24 .11.15
Signed by the Colonel A.M.S.
Officer i/c Military Hospital
He is buried at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
Additional Information
Mrs E Hartt, 4 Chambers Lane, Ickleford, Hitchin, Herts (wife or mother) ordered hid headstone inscription: "UNTIL THE DAWNING OF A BRIGHTER DAY FAREWELL WIFE AND CHILDREN".
His widow received a war gratuity of £4 and pay owing of £3 9s 8d. She also received a pension of £ 2s 6d a week for herself her four daughters (Phyllis, Mary, Kathleen and Dorothy). Their address given on pension records was 4 Chambers Lane, Ickleford, Hitchin, Herts.
N.B. the spelling of the surname Hart varies from one 't' to two tt's.
(The listing in the National Roll of the Great War incorrectly states that Percy was serving in Egypt on the outbreak of hostilities, contracted malaria and died on 29 September 1915)
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer
