Name
Percy Harry Snelgrove (MM)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/01/1918
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
265339
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
'H' Coy
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Military Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TYNE COT MEMORIAL
Panel 153.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Stevenage Old Town Memorial, St Nicholas' Church Memorial, Stevenage Old Town, Holy Trinity Church Memorial Roll of Honour, Stevenage Old Town, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Letchworth memorials
Pre War
Percy was the born in Stevenage on the 26th December 1896, the son of William & Francis Snelgrove.
He was employed as Machinist at the Educational Supplies Association in Stevenage, who were manufacturers of school furniture. He spent some time living in Trinity Road, Stevenage, before joining the Territorials in June 1913. He is later recorded as a resident of Letchworth.
He enlisted in Hitchin in July 1914 and at that time was recorded as living in Letchworth.
Wartime Service
When he joined up in July 1914 and was allocated Regimental number 265339. Initially he served in 4 Company of the 1st Battalion, but the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records state that he was in 'H' company at the time of his death. This letter may be a confusion with a handwritten 4.
He went to France on the 6th November 1914 and was killed in action. The Hertfordshires were serving with 118th Brigade in the 39th Division at the time of his death.
No major action was taking place at the time but there were a steady number of casualties from snipers, shellfire and accidents both in and out of the trenches.
The Battalion was in the area of the Steenbeek in a wasteland of stinking mud.
On the 11th January 1918 the Battalion relieved the 1st Cambridgeshire Regiment in trenches near Steenbeek, Belgium. The unit war diary notes that their positions were shelled by German artillery and it is presumed that this is when he was killed. Very little detail exists with regard to his award of the Military Medal or his eventual death. It is possible that his Military Medal may have been awarded sometime after the end of the war as it is not mentioned on the Drill Hall War Memorial.
Additional Information
Son of Mrs J C Snelgrove whose address at his death was 53 Jays Avenue, Letchworth, Herts.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, Paul Johnson, www.stevenageatwar.com, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
