Name
Percival Cornelius Morris
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
20
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Serjeant
36402
Princess Charlotte of Wales’ (Royal Berkshire) Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 45.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Sawbridgeworth Town Memorial, Great St Mary’s Church Memorial, Sawbridgeworth, High Wych Village Memorial, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford Not on the Much Hadham memorials, We are not aware of any Allen's Green memorial
Pre War
Percival was born in Much Hadham in May 1897 and moved to High Wych around 1900. Known locally as just ‘Percy'.
He spent his early years living in the Queens Head PH in Allen's Green and was recorded there in the 1901 census, living with his uncle, Arthur Wybrew who was the landlord.
In the 1911 census he was with his family at High Wych and was recorded as a ‘Nursery Gardener’.
He was recorded as aa resident of Sawbridgeworth, Herts. when he enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
Percival was formerly 5826 in the Hertfordshire Regiment, which probably means that he enlisted or was conscripted in 1916. He was later transferred to the 6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment and fought in the Somme offensive of 1916.
Although Cornelius’ name was not mentioned in the Berks Regimental diary, it show us that events on the day he died were highly eventful and we presume he fell as a consequence of them. On the night of the 30th/31st July 1917 the battalion moved from Dickebusch camp and the Blue line was captured, this was followed by a severe artillery barrage. “Tanks held up by the bog on the Southern side of Ypres – Menin Road, the battalion continued to advance, and at this point heavy machine gun fire stopped.”
The next day, the day that Cornelius died, the battalion formed by 10.10am and they were determined to push forward under cover of rifle fire. Orders were issued that as soon “as the barrage opened every endeavour was to be made to push on and gain as much land as possible.” When the barrage subsided three enemy aeroplanes appeared and drove off the British contact aeroplanes. Later an aeroplane flew up and down, firing its machine guns, five tanks were hit directly and there was artillery fire on the broken down tanks. Although fire was opened no planes were brought down.
This was the Battle of Passchendaele and the conditions were appalling with nearly an inch of rain falling that day alone.
Some units took 70% casualties, and the official figures show 31,850 casualties in the first 4 days of fighting, for a gain of just 3,000 yards.
Percival Morris has no known grave, but is commemorated on the Menin Gate. He was aged 20.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Dave Harvey - Leventhorpe School, Douglas Coe
