Name
Percy Mead
14 June 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/07/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20307
Northamptonshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 11 A and 11 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead, We are not aware of any memorial in Piccotts End
Pre War
Percy Mead was born on 14 June 1894 at 17 Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead, the illegitimate son of Ann Mead, who died on 21 June, a week after she had given birth. He was baptised at St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead on 8 August 1894 and was brought up by his grandparents George and Betsy Mead, but his grandfather died in 1900.
On the 1901 Census he was living with his widowed grandmother Betsy and uncle Alfred at 59 Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead.
He continued living with his grandmother at the same address in 1911 by which time his uncle William was living with them. He had left school at 13 and on the Census, aged 16, he was working as a Baker.
Pension records give his grandmother's address as 66 Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in summer 1915 in Wellingborough, Northants and served with the Northamptonshire Regiment. He was posted to the 6th (Service) Battalion, and underwent basic training at Salisbury Plain.
He was sent to France on 16 December 1915 and died on or since 14 July 1916 during the attack on Trones Wood where the 6th Battalion suffered heavy casualties. 22 year old Percy was amongst the 44 missing in the attack.
He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France.
(N.B. the National Roll of the Great War states that he was in the Hampshire Regiment and that he died in the Battle of Delville Wood, which is incorrect)
Additional Information
His grandmother received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £2 18s 2d. Although some pension records exist, there are no details as to the pension received. Nephew to Horace Mead who served with the Bedfordshire Regiment and died on 5 February 1916 in Dovercourt, Essex.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www. dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelheroes.com
