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14697 Pte Harold Walter Percival, Northants Regt


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This is 14697 Pte Harold Walter Percival of the Northamptonshire Regiment. As far as I can discover he was born in 1896 at Bourne, Lincolnshire. This photograph was taken in Southwick, near Oundle. Does anyone know which battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment he served with?

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His Medal Index Card is noted France 1-9-1915, according to Brig James book the 7th Service Batt Northants landed at Boulogne on the 2nd of Sept 1915, could this be the one ? Ralph.

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Thank you. The overseas date would make him part of the 73rd Bde, 24th Division and therefore first in action at Loos, 26th September 1915.

Does the MIC give any further details, SWB or date discharged, etc?

Simon.

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As far as I can discover he was born in 1896 at Bourne, Lincolnshire.

Did you get this from the 1911 census search? Without looking at the actual entry??

The Harold Walter Percival shown aged 15 in Bourne district is an apprentice carpenter wheelwright born in Queensland, Australia!

Adrian

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Did you get this from the 1911 census search? Without looking at the actual entry??

The Harold Walter Percival shown aged 15 in Bourne district is an apprentice carpenter wheelwright born in Queensland, Australia!

Adrian

Indeed I did, my old computer is running millenium software and my browser won't support viewing Ancestry. I am in the process of upgrading my computer but keep finding old photographs to spend my money on.

Thank you for setting the facts straight.

Simon.

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Sorry, been away for the weekend.

The Medal Roll page 103 confirms 7th Battalion for Harold Walter Percival. He was part of "C" Company, and would have been one of the men enlisted at Peterborough as part of "Whitsed's Light Infantry" an informal name given to the approximately 200 men enlisted in Peterborough at that time. As noted above they became the core of "C" Company of the 7th Northamptons. Their official enlistment dates are shown as 7 September 1914.

He is not noted on the Mayor's Roll of Honour of Peterborough men serving in circa May 1915, which may suggest that he was living close to Peterborough but not in it when he enlisted.

The Medal Rolls in this part of the Northamptons ledger only show the first battalion served overseas with and not any subsequent changes so I can't guarantee he didn't change battalions later on.

He does however appear on the 1918 Absent Voters List living at Maxey, near Peterborough, as a Sgt. in the 7th Battalion so it is likely he served through the war with the 7th Battalion.

The medal roll also confirms the 29-3-1919 as his date of transfer to Class Z, as posted by Ralph.

I have no wounds noted against him from casualty list sources, though they are incomplete.

Steve.

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Steve,

many thanks for the extra information. Would you like a higher resolution photograph for your archive?

Simon.

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Yes please Simon.

You still have my e-mail address I presume.

Steve.

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  • 2 years later...

This is 14697 Pte Harold Walter Percival of the Northamptonshire Regiment. As far as I can discover he was born in 1896 at Bourne, Lincolnshire. This photograph was taken in Southwick, near Oundle. Does anyone know which battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment he served with?

Are you sure it was Southwick near Oundle and not Southwick near brighton, where the 7th were billetted in 1914/1915.

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A very good point, Peter!

Steve.

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