Name
Percy Charles Peacock
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/03/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265348
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
'4' Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
VILLERS-FAUCON COMMUNAL CEMETERY EXTENSION
II. D. 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
All Saints Church Memorial, St Paul's Walden, Whitwell Village Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Percy was born in 1893 in St Pauls Walden, Herts., his mother was Ellen Peacock.
In 1901 Percy (7) and his mother, Ellen (32) were living in East Hall, St Pauls Walden, Herts. No one else was listed as in the household, but Ellen was listed as head and working as a caretaker.
By 1911 Ellen and Percy appear to have moved into her mother’s house in St Pauls Walden, Herts. Present were Anna Louisa Peacock (70) the head of household and a widow, sons Joseph Peacock (41), a gardener and Samuel David Peacock (43( a farm labourer, daughter Ellen Maria Peacock (43) – Percy’s mother, oddly Percy is listed as a nephew, - presumably to Joseph as he would be Anna’s grandson. He was 17 and working as a house boy.
Percy was a pre-war Hertfordshire Territorial and enlisted 6 June 1913, becoming Private 2228. He was described as nearly 20 years old, 5’ 8” tall, with a 35” chest when fully expanded.
He married Annie Bird (b 6/5/1892) in the third quarter of 1915 and they went on to have one child Eunice Annie Peacock (b 24/8/1918).
Officially Percy was recorded as born in Hitchin, Herts., living in Hartest, Bury St. Edmunds when he enlisted in Whitwell, Herts.
Wartime Service
When war was declared, the first Battalion was at the annual Territorial Army summer camp and were embodied for ‘Home’ war service. Percy’s service record shows that he was posted to the 3/1st Bn. Hertfordshire Regiment on 5 August 1914 – the day after war was declared, but he later transferred back.
They were moved to Bury St Edmunds and received further training for about two months – this may be where he met his future wife as she seem to have had connections to that area.
Territorials had been trained to a good extent, but they were only required to serve in the United Kingdom, but like many others Percy volunteered for overseas service and signed his papers on 31 August 1914 and was sent to France, leaving from Southampton and arriving at Le Havre on 5 November 1914 and moved to the Ypres sector.
On 24 December the Bn, were matching back to LES LACONS FARM before moving into the trenches south of RUE DE BOIS in the evening. In one of these two movements Percy sprained his ankle and was admitted to No. 4 Field Ambulance. It must have been quite a serious sprain because he was then sent to No. 5 Clearing Hospital (Hazebrouck) on the 30th then discharged for duty the following day.
Percy was wounded in the shoulder and leg at Guinchy on 17 April 1915 – this may have been while moving into the trenches. After initial treatment was sent to 13 General Hospital at Boulogne and was there on the 18th, to be transferred back to England on the 19th. Where he was in hospital the following day for treatment and recuperation.
While in England he married Annie Bird (b 6/5/1892) in the third quarter of 1915.
He remained in England until 22 July 1916 when sailed again for France, landing at Boulogne the following day, he reported to the No. 17 Infantry Base Depot on the 24th and then the was then sent to the 3rd Entrenching Battalion 22 August 1916 rejoining the 1st Herts in France 15 September 1916 as part of a draft of 50 ORs from No. 3 Entrenching Bn. They took part in battles of the Ancre in late 1916.
He was admitted to a Field Ambulance on 10 October 1916, probably with tooth trouble, and then dispatched to a Casualty Clearing Station. He returned to duty on the 12th and back to his Regiment on the 20th.
Percy received a 7-day Field Punishment No. 2 for being absent from parade on 6 November 1916.
In early 1917 soldiers who had enlisted or were serving in a Territorial Force regiment were issued with a new, six-digit service number and Percy’s was 265348.
He was again admitted to a Field Ambulance on 17 February 1917, this time with influenza, but re-joined his Regiment on the 23rd. There was another absence from 6 March 1917 to the 19th but the reason is not readable, and again from 9 August 1918 when he was at 50 (or 60) Casualty Clearing Station.
In 1917 the Battalion was involved in the Battle of Passchendaele, but Percy may have been lucky enough to miss some of this.
On 14 September 1917 he was admitted to 26 General Hospital (Etaples) with ‘disease mild’. The admitted to 25 General Hospital (Hardelot) with impetigo on 3 October 1917, moved to another hospital in Calais on the 16th, leaving on the 19th and re-joining his Battalion on the 22nd
He was given leave to the UK between in November 1917 returning on the 28th, so he was probably back in Hitchin for part of that period and that is probably when his wife became pregnant.
On the 21st March 1918 when the German offensive began, the Herts were part of 116th Brigade, 39th Division, VII Corps in the 5th Army. At 1.45pm that day, the 116th was placed under the orders of the 16 Division which had been very heavily attacked and virtually annihilated. The Herts moved forward during the afternoon towards the retreating line of the 16th Division and took up positions north, east and south-east of Villers Faucon which is north-east of Peronne. On the 22nd March the Herts were heavily engaged in the recapture of St. Emilie, but later in the day retreated to a line near Tincourt. Much confused fighting occurred during the retreat and many casualties were suffered.
Percy was reported as missing on the 22nd.
With no news his family wrote on 2 August 1918 to the British Red Cross & Order Of St John asking if theuy had any news. None was forthcoming and eventually Percy was presumed dead i=on the date he went missing.
His body was eventually recovered and is buried in Plot II, Row D, Grave 10 in the Villers-Faucon Communal Cemetery Extension, Somme, France.
Additional Information
His widow moved to The Green, Hartest, Nr Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk and was recorded there after Percy’s death at several addresses. One was 5 High Baxter Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, but on 6 March 1918, 29 April 1918 and 10 February 1920 the military recorded his widow’s address as The Green, Hartest, nr Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
After his death £22 5s 10d, a combined sum for pay owing and a war gratuity was authorised to go to his widow, Annie Peacock, on 10 May 1920.
His pension cards record his widow as his dependant, living at The Green, Hartest, Nr Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. She was awarded a grant of £5 on 26 August 1919 and a pension of 20s 5d a week from 13 May 1919. Daughter was listed as Eunice Annie Peacock (b 24/8/1918)
Mother Ellen Maria Peacock
His widow acknowledged receipt of his British War and Victory medals on 14 April 1921.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk,
