Name
Percy Coleman
1886
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
66324
Royal Fusiliers *1
12th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 6 and 8.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Abbots Langley Village Memorial, St. Lawrence Church Memorial, Abbots Langley, John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Not on Bedmond memorials
Pre War
Percy Coleman was born in Bedmond, near Abbotts Langley in 1886, the son of William and Sarah Coleman, and baptised at Abbotts Langley on 10 September 1886. He was one of seven children and his cousin Winifred Curtis also lived with the family after her mother died in 1901.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at Nash Mills, Apsley End, Abbots Langley, Herts where his father was working as a Millwright and Percy is recorded as a Millwright's Apprentice (at John Dickinson & Co Ltd), They remained at Nash Mills in 1911 and Percy's occupation was then given as Papermaker.
He married Ethel May Jennings on 21 June 1913 at St John's Parish Church, Kingston-upon-Thames. They had two children, their son Frederick being born on 3 May 1914, and daughter Vera on 26 September 1917 and they lived at Railway Terrace, Kings Langley, Herts.
Prior to enlistment he was employed at John Dickinson & Co, Nash Mills and his parents later lived at Tower Hill, Chipperfield, King’s Langley, Herts.
Wartime Service
Percy was called up in 1916 and enlisted with the Northamptonshire Regiment in Watford in August, being sent to France on 20 June 1917. On 8 July, he was one of 75 other Northants soldiers who were transferred to the 12th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and joined the Battalion two days later.
For seven days between 17 and 25 July, the 12th Battalion marched from Henneveux, near Boulogne, to positions close to Pilckem, north of Ypres, Belgium, a distance of just over 90 miles, with the men marching roughly 13 miles each day. This was in preparation for the 3rd Battle of Ypres and the opening assault at Pilckem Ridge.
A week later they were in action for the first time and the Battalion attacked in the early morning at 3.10 am on 31 July, advancing only 200 yards in two hours before being held up by shelling and machine gun fire, which continued for the rest of the day. Requests for support were sent back to HQ but none of the messages got through, owing to runners being killed or wounded and it was not until 11.00 pm that the 2nd Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment came to relieve them.
Percy was one of the 30 men who was killed in action on 31 July 1917, aged 32, He has no known grave and his name is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Belgium.
Biography
Percy Coleman was killed in action on 31st July 1917. Percy was listed in the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine Roll of Honour for the first time in May 1917, serving with the Northamptonshire Regiment. Only a few months later, in the September edition of the Magazine, he was listed killed in action whilst serving with the Royal Fusiliers: “Another Railway Terrace Man, Percy Coleman, of the Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action at about the same date as William Jerram. He also leaves behind a young wife and little child. May God grant to their afflicted and bereaved ones His consolation, and may those who have so nobly given their lives on their behalf rest in Peace.” Percy was killed on the same day as another Abbots Langley man, William Jerram, also from Railway Terrace.
Percy was born in the summer of 1886 at Bedmond, to William Rawlings Coleman and Sarah Ann (nee Curtis) but by the 1891 Census the family had moved to Nash Mills, Abbots Langley and on the 1901 Census Percy was living at the family home with his father and mother, and three brothers and three sisters. William worked as a Mill-wright and Percy was employed as a Mill-wright’s apprentice. On the 1911 Census Percy’s Occupation is Paper Maker. Percy married Ethel May Jennings at St John's Church, Kingston upon Thames on 21 June 1913. He gave his address as 12 Nash Mills, Hemel Hempstead and the Abbots Langley Parish Magazine indicated that he was a resident of Railway Terrace but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission recorded that his wife and young child were living at 37 Down Road, Teddington, Middlesex. However his parents still lived at 12 Nash Mills. Percy and Edith had two children, Frederick and Vera, and lived at Railway Terrance, King's Langley, Herts. Prior to enlistment he worked at John Dickinson & Co., Apsley Mills.
Percy enlisted in Watford, date unknown and was initially posted to 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment as Private 46071. Following training he later transferred to the 12th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment). The 12th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers moved to the Front Line trenches east of Zillebeke on 30th July 1917. At 3.00am on 31st July the battalion was formed up and prepared to go into action from trenches just north of Hill 60 with objectives in the area known as Shrewsbury Forest. Attacking just before 4.00am the Fusiliers were held up by enemy strong-points near Bodmin Copse. After withdrawing the battalion was subjected to a heavy artillery bombardment throughout the day, and was raked by rifle and machine gun fire as it was relieved at 11.00pm. The official record noted that the 12th Royal Fusiliers suffered 30 Other Ranks killed in action and 130 wounded. Subsequent research has shown that the actual number of men killed in action was 94. The actual number of wounded is unknown. Percy Coleman was killed in action during this engagement. Percy Coleman is listed on the Menin Gate at Ypres, indicating that his remains were not recovered and is commemorated on the Abbots Langley War Memorial and John Dickinson War Memorial, indicating that before joining up he had worked at the Dickinson Paper Mills.
Brother James Coleman, 197th Coy. Machine Gun Corps, died 28 April 1918, age 27, and who is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. Another brother, Fred Coleman, despite being severely wounded serving with the Royal Navy at Gallipoli, survived the War.
His brother-in-law, Nicholas Hayden, who had married his sister Alice in 1915, survived the War.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of £1 16s 4d. She also received a pension of £1 2s 11d for herself and her two children. Brother to James Coleman who served with the Machine Gun Corps and died of wounds on 28 April 1918. He is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. His widow Ethel did not remarry and on the 1939 register, she was living in Twickenham with son Frederick and his wife Doris.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (The Rangers).
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer, Neil Cooper
Roger Yapp - www.backtothefront.org, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
