Name
Percy Sawyer
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
21/10/1914
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
40016
Canadian Field Artillery
Div. H.Q.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TILSHEAD (ST. THOMAS A BECKET) CHURCHYARD
18’ West of NW corner of Church
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth UDC Memorial, St Mary’s Church Roll of Honour, Rickmansworth
Pre War
Percy Sawyer was born in Rickmansworth on 14 June 1896, the son of John, a platelayer, and Sarah Sawyer. He had an older brother, 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers. In 1901 the family were living at Bury Place, Bury Lane, Rickmansworth. Another brother, Horace was born in 1902. His mother died in 1905 when he was 9 years old and his father died in 1909. Percy, and his younger brothers, Albert, John and Horace were sent to St Andrew’s Home for Boys, Elm Lodge, Reading. Percy and Albert were later sent to Canada to work on a farm. There is a record of a Percy Sawyer travelling from Liverpool to Montreal on the ship Victorian. His age is given as 14 and his occupation as page boy.
His brother, Thomas, who is given as his next of kin, married in 1906 and in 1911 was living in Wealdstone, Middlesex with his wife, Lily and 3 children. He later lived at Stonehall Lodge, Oxted, Surrey.
Wartime Service
Percy enlisted on 23rd September 1914 in Valcartier, Quebec, Canada in the Canadian Field Artillery. His attestation papers show, confusingly, that he gave his date of birth as 14 June 1891 although his apparent age is said to be 21. It also stated that he had served for 3 years with the Royal Canadian Garrison Artillery.
He embarked on 1st October, arriving at Plymouth and then going to Bustard Camp on Salisbury Plain. At the Coroner’s Inquest for South Wiltshire, Shoeing Smith James Buck, described that he saw a horse galloping, dragging a man behind it. The horse kicked the man and continued down the hill. When he managed to catch the horse Percy Sawyer was scarcely breathing and by the time he was seen by a doctor he was already dead.
St Mary’s Church magazine for November 1914 records that A tragic incident is the death, by accident of young Percy Sawyer only 18- who came over with the contingent from Canada to serve at the front. Percy was born in Bury Lane, and after losing both parents was sent out to Canada some 5 years ago by the ‘Church of England Waifs and Strays Society’ with two of his brothers. All have done well out there, and Albert, the second boy- only 16 years, but a fine and well grown lad has also come to serve at the Front, and visited his old friends in Rickmansworth on Thursday last.
Acknowledgments
Pat Hamilton
Malcolm Lennox, St Mary's Church magazine
