Name
Percy Horace Drayton
20/12/1878
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
38
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
25425
Grenadier Guards
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARTILLERY WOOD CEMETERY
VII. C. 9.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
"TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WE LOVE IS NOT TO DIE"
UK & Other Memorials
Barley Village Memorial, St Margaret's Church Memorial, Barley
Pre War
Percy Horace DRAYTON was born in Barley, Hertfordshire, on 20th December 1878, son of Joseph Drayton an Agricultural Worker and Alice Drayton (nee Bright). One of their six children.
His parents were married on 12th October 1870, in Barley, Herts.
Percy was Baptised on 25th May 1879, in the Parish of Barley, Herts.
1881 Census Percy (2) his parents and his three sisters, Eleanor (10), Laura (8) and Mary (5), are living at The Mount, Barley, Herts. The family had a boarder.
1891 Census, Percy aged 12, had left school and was working as an Agricultural Worker, living with his parents, two sisters and two brothers, still at the Mount, Barley. The family had a boarder.
No 1901 Census record for Percy was found. His parents and brother Bernard (15) were living in Smith End, Barley, Herts. His mother Alice died in 1902, aged 51.
His father Joseph remarried in October 1903, in Royston, Herts, to Alice Hayden.
Percy enlisted at Walthamstow, on 16th December 1902, for 12 years with the Colours, He gave his age as 22 years and 11 months and his occupation as a Horsekeeper on a Farm. He joined the Royal Garison Artillery at Dover on 19th December 1902 and issued with the service No. 13261.
In October 1904, Percy was posted to Halifax, Nova Scotia, returning home in December 1905, in October 1906 he was posted to Aden, in January 1907, posted to India returning home in October 1910.
Percy married Mable Chapman on 29th December 1912, at the Parish Church Saint Marylebone, Marylebone Road, Westminster, London. They went on to have a daughter Mable Alice Mary Drayton born on 18th January 1914, in Marylebone, London.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of the First World War, Percy was still a serving soldier with the 111th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, he was posted to France, arriving on 4th October 1914, where he served until being wounded in the leg in the early part of 1915. After spending some time in a Base Hospital, he eventually returned to his unit, on 12th December 1915, he returned home as his term of service had expired, he was discharged on 15th December 1915, at Gosport, Hampshire, on completion of 13 years’ service.
Percy immediately applied to re-join the Army and after being accepted was transferred to the Grenadier Guards on the 4th February 1916 and issued with the Service No. 25425. He was soon back in the fight and in October of that year was again wounded, this time in the muscles of his arm. He was evacuated back to England to recover from his injuries and returned to France on the 3rd April 1917.
Percy was killed in Action on 31st July 1917, (some records record he died of wounds, we believe he was Killed in Action) he is buried in Artillery Wood Cemetery, in Belgium. Grave Ref; VII. C. 9.
Additional Information
Mable was awarded a grant of £5, on 24th September 1917, and a widow’s pension of 25s/10d, on 18th March 1918, increased to 34s/6d, on 1st May 1918.
His effects of £17-00-08, pay owing and £2 of the £6, war gratuity went to his widow Mable, the other £4 went to O. S. B.
Percy was awarded the 1914 Star, while serving with the 111th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) and the British War and Victory Medals while serving with the Grenadier Guards. He has two Medal Index Cards (MIC).
The SDITGW record his date of death as 17th September 1914, this is incorrect.
His service record is available on-line at Find my Past UK www.findmypast.co.uk and Ancestry UK www.ancestry.co.uk.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Paul Johnson, Adrian Pitts
