Name
Percy Reeve
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
26/10/1914
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
10160
Bedfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
“A” Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE TOURET MEMORIAL
Panel 10 and 11.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Royston Town Memorial, Not on the Ashwell memorials
Pre War
Percy was born in Guilden Morden, Cambridgeshire on 16th April 1895, the fourth son of James and Sarah (nee Manning). He was educated at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.
In 1901 the family lived in Odsey and consisted of parents James and Sarah plus children: Arthur (16), Albert Edward (10), Nellie (9), Horace (7), Percy (5) and James (4 months). In 1911 the family were living in Queens Road, Royston. It was recorded that they had nine children in total but two had died. Arthur, Albert Edward, Nellie (9), Horace, Percy, James and now Margery Marcella (5) were all listed.
His father died and after that lived in Royston for several years.
Before going to war he was in domestic service.
Percy’s brother, Albert served with the 1st Hertfordshires, 'E' Company and was killed on the railway line at Letchworth on 9th July 1914. - he was buried in Royston with full military honours.
Wartime Service
The Battalion had occupied a line of trenches south of the Festubert - Rue Quinque road about 1 mile East of Festubert. The Germans were described in the unit war diary as being “particularly active & pertinacious, constantly sapping forward & making attacks at various hours of night & day”.
All of these attacks were successfully repulsed. Owing to length of line held, nearly whole Battalion had to be kept in front trenches, & constantly on the alert. On the 26th October the Battalion was relieved from the trenches by 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment in the evening. During the three-day period the Battalion had suffered 14 men killed & wounded. One of these was Percy Reeve.
R Sandilands of the 1st Beds notified his death in a letter to his mother 27/10/1914 and said that he was “Exceptionally Brave”.
Additional Information
At the time that his death his father had died and his mother was living in Letchworth. Although he was a pupil of the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell he is not on their Roll of Honour.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Lynette Wray
