Name
Percy Haycraft Berry
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
10/03/1916
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Army Medical Corps
Attached Berkshire Yeomanry
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ALEXANDRIA (HADRA) WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY
Row B, Grave 151.
Egypt
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St Mary's Parish Church Memorial, Watford,
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Watford,
Guys Hospital War Memorial, London
Pre War
Son of Frederick and Alice Haycroft (nee FLOOD) BERRY of Watford.
His parents married 7 April 1884 at St Mary’s, Watford. Frederick died 29 July 1922 in Watford aged 66, and was buried 1 August in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Alice died 15 March 1933 in Watford aged 74, and was buried 18 March, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Percy was born 1888 in Watford, and baptised 5 November 1888 at St Mary’s, Watford. He was educated at Malvern College, and King’s College, Cambridge. He entered Guy’s Hospital, London, in 1910; qualified L.R.C.P., M.R.C.S. in 1913, and M.B. (Cantab) in 1913. In 1914 he held the appointment of Assistant House Surgeon.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1891 Census, aged 2 he lived in Watford, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 12 he was a pupil at Gisburne House, Watford. On the 1911 Census, a medical student aged 22 he lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings.
Wartime Service
On 1 May 1915 he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps and entered the war in France on 1 June 1915.
He served in Gallipoli transporting the wounded on the hospital ship Assaye.
He then became attached to the Berkshire Regiment as their medical officer, and with them joined the Western Frontier Force of Egypt in the campaign against Senussi. On 10 March, at Berrani, seeing a man drowning, he plunged off a rock into heavy surf with all his clothes on to rescue him. Immediately a big wave broke over him and he disappeared. His body was later found with large wounds to the head. He was buried 11 March 1916 at Berrani with military honours.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 1 June 1915, and his next-of-kin was his mother of Watford.
Additional Information
There are articles about Percy in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 18 March 1916 and 25 March 1916.
Percy is also commemorated on the family headstone in Watford Cemetery. His part of the inscription reads:
PERCY HAYCRAFT BERRY BA. M.R.G.S. LIEUT. R.A.M.C. SON OF THE ABOVE [Frederick Haycraft & Alice Berry]
WHO GAVE HIS LIFE AT BARANI EGYPT. MARCH 10. 1916. AGED 26.
*1 CWGC records his age as 27.
Acknowledgments
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
