Name
Percy Henry (Harry) Snelgrove (MM)
26th December 1896
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(*1)
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
NA
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 – although one record suggests that his birth was registered in Hitchin and christened in Stevenage on 3 October 1897. His parents were William Francis and Florence Snelgrove.
It has not been possible to find them together in the census, but William and Florence and another child, Ethel Frances, born in 1895, birth registered in Hitchin and christened on 3 November 1895, an elder sister to Percy.
In 1911 Percy was found at 10 Trinity Road, Stevenage, Herts. the house of Sarah Ann Cooper (63) and single. Percy was recorded as only 14 but a blacksmith, and a visitor. However, this address is used for him in various records, including his service records. Sarah also appears in various records described below and is referred to as an aunt, but also appears as Percy’s stepmother and foster mother, even though his mother, Florence, appears to have been living.
In the same years she appears as 45, living at 53 Leys Avenue, Letchworth, the housekeeper to William Warren (60 and pharmaceutical chemist end employer) and her daughter Ethel Frances Snelgrove (15) is recorded as visiting. Florence is recorded as having been married for 17 years with two children, although it possible that her husband had died. Another man is present, Thomson Pocklington Brett (39) listed as an assistant and a chemist.
Indecently in 1921 the same people were present, although Ethel and Thompson were both listed as boarders.
Percy had enlisted into the Hertfordshire Territorials, as Private 2214 on 27 May 1913 and medically examined on 2 June 1913. At that time he recorded his middle name as Harry. At that time he was employed as Machinist at the Educational Supplies Association in Stevenage, who were manufacturers of school furniture and living at 10 Trinity Road, Stevenage, Herts.
Officially x was recorded as born in Stevenage, Herts
Wartime Service
As Percy was already a serving Territorial, he had been trained to a good extent, but they were only required to serve in the United Kingdom, but like many others he volunteered for overseas service, signing for this on 31 August 1914 and was sent to France, landing there on 5th November 1914.
In November 1814, while in Belgium, he was admitted to No 4 Field Ambulance from line of march on the 16th; transferred to Base and then to No. 12 Stationary Hospital with a hernia on 19 November 1914. He was transferred back to the UK on the Hospital Ship Asturias also suffering with a neuritis of his arm and was back in the UK on 24 November 1914. After treatment and recovery he left Southampton for France on the 15 February 1915.
In June 1915 while in billets at Cambrin, he was docked 7 days’ pay for being absent from parade. Then on the 14th was tried by Field General Court Martial and sentenced to 35 days Field Punishment No. 1 for disobedience as to show wilful defiance of a command given by his superior officer.
On 16 April 1916 the battalion went into the trenches at Festubert, relieving the 13th Welsh and Percy was wounded the following day, receiving a gunshot wound to his arm and left thigh. He was admitted to the 105 Field Ambulance, then admitted to 11 Corp R L?, but was discharged for duty and re-joined his unit on the 29th.
They were in billets from 3 November 1916 and on the 7th he was given 7 days Field Punishment No. 2 for being absent from parade on the 4th.
On 12 January 1917 the battalion relieved the 10th Liverpool Scottish in the Wieltze sub sector. During the relief the Germans heavily bombarded the front line with Minenwerfer and they casualties during the relief which were 3 O.R. killed and 4 O.R. wounded. However Percy must have missed this as around 12 January 1917, he was admitted to the 13th Field Ambulance suffering from scabies. He moved to 50 ? Casualty Clearing Station on the 16th and the 2nd Western General Hospital on the 19th then discharge for duty on the 23rd, joining his unit in the 26th January.
It was around this time that soldiers who had enlisted or were serving in a Territorial Force regiment were issued with a new, six-digit service number. This was largely related to the huge increase in the numbers of men serving in the infantry regiments and the need to avoid confusion, and this was when Percy was given the service number 265339.
On the 26 February 1917 he suffered again from laryngitis and was admitted to 134 Field Ambulance, then two days later was admitted to 39 WRS (Women’s Royal Service)
He was ill in the field again on 15 March 1917, taken to Boulogne on the 17th, and then left for the UK on another Hospital Ship on 17th arriving on the 18th, and was admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital, Manchester, with laryngitis on the 19th. He was discharged on 31 March 1917, but does not seem to have embarked for France until 14 June 1917. He arrived at 17 Base Depot and left there for attachment to the 3rd Engineering Battalion on 2 July joining them in the field on the 4th, and was appointed paid Acting Corporal 1 August 1917 reverting to Private when he left them to join his unit on 9 August 1917 joining them in the field on the 11th
Percy was wounded in action on 24 September 1917, suffering a gunshot wound to his head and arm, and was taken to 1 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, then admitted to the Field Ambulance and then reached the 83 General Hospital at Boulogne on the 26th.
After treatment was sent to 2 Convalescent Hospital in Rouen being admitted on the 2nd, the 11 Convalescent Depot in Buchy on the 6th, then to the 17 S BD (Base Depot?) 30 October 1917.
He was promoted to paid Acting Corporal on 31 October 1917, proceeding to join his battalion in the field 2 November 1917 and then appointed Corporal, then to Lance Sergeant on 19 November 1917, and later appointed paid Acting Sergeant and given leave to the UK.
Sadly we have few details but around this time Percy had brought in German prisoners while under fire which killed several of his companions and wounded him. For this he was award the Military Medal.
He was killed on 11 January 1918, so the events were on or before this date. On this date the Hertfordshires and relieved 1/1 Cambs. Regt in left sub sector front line and the War Diary records the shelling of Corps line. The ties in with a report in the Hertfordshire Express recording that he was killed by a shell having returned to France only a few days before and having celebrated his 21st birthday on the previous Boxing Day.
Percy’s MM award was recorded in the London Gazette on 23 February 1918, sadly after his death.
The officer commanding No. 4 Company wrote to his aunt, Miss Cooper, of Stevenage, with whom Percy had lived. He wrote: “We all know we have lost one of the finest soldiers, not only in this Company, but in the whole Battalion. He was one of our towers of strength in the Company to whom we could look in the time of need, and seeing that he came out to France with the Battalion in 1914, his long experience had taught him what to do at the right time."
It also recorded that his great friend, Sergeant Lichfield, of Stevenage was present at Percy's burial. It was recorded that he had found Percy, after a search, badly wounded. Apparently Percy had bravely set out to accompany a lost Beds. Soldier back to his regiment.
Additional Information
After his death £10 pay owing was authorised to go to Miss Florence M Gardner (Pecuniary Legatee) and 14s 10d to Sarah Ann Cooper (Residuary Legatee), also his foster mother) on 6 June 1918. Later, a war gratuity of £19 was authorised to be paid to Sarah, on 11 December 1919.
His pension cards record Sarah Ann Cooper as his foster mother and dependant, living at 10 Trinity Road , Stevenage, Herts. She was awarded a pension of 7s a week from 27 March 1918.
His Death Plaque and scroll was sent to his mother Florence on 26 September 1919 and the British and Victory medals were sent to F Snelgrove o in 1921
*1 Initially served in 4 Company of the 1st Battalion, but the CWGC records state that he was in 'H' company at the time of his death, however, give that a letter was sent back from the CO of No. 4 Company, and that at this time the Hertfordshire companies were using numbers not letters ‘H’ is probably a mis-transcription.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, Paul Johnson, www.stevenageatwar.com, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
