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Village Web Site Forum
Roger Davy
Ben Rhydding, Ilkley
Monday, July 16, 2018 13:16 |
Private Percy Hargreaves
Hello Paul,
It is far too long since I was in touch with you but I thought you might like to know or at least be reminded that it will be one hundred years on Friday this week, the 20th July since my father's cousin Percy Hargreaves was killed July 1918. He is buried in the little village graveyard at Saint-Imoges just south of Reims and a few miles north of Epernay in the Marne district of northern France. Percy is buried with about twenty other British and a similar number of French soldiers who all died around that date.
You and other followers of the Forum might like to know too that I have been in touch with the Mayor of the village and I have sent a poppy wreath and a photo and the Mayor has agreed to place the wreath on Percy's grave on Friday. I have asked him to to send me a photo which I can send on to you in due course.
Best wishes, and I enjoy keeping in touch through the website.
Roger Davy, Ilkley |
Paul Wilkinson
webmaster
Tuesday, July 17, 2018 08:25 |
Hi Roger, thanks for your message. I'm sure Andrew Monkhouse will post a very poignant tribute to mark the centenary in his "100 years on, Sutton soldiers remembered" forum topic.
If the Mayor does send you a photo, please forward me a copy and I'll add it here.
Paul
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Andrew Monkhouse
Hanoi, Vietnam
Friday, July 20, 2018 09:09 |
Hi Roger, the last letter received by the parents of Pte Percy Hargreaves was written on the 18th July 1918, when he described the beauty of the village where he was billeted. This was 2 days before he was killed on the opening day of the Battle of the Tardenois on the 20th July 1918.
I posted the following tribute to Percy in the other thread:
On this day 100 years ago, PERCY HARGREAVES became the fortieth Sutton casualty of the Great War. Percy was born in 1899 at Sutton House in Sutton-in-Craven. By the age of 12 years, Percy was attending school part-time, whilst working as a worsted spinner. He was later apprenticed to the butchering trade with Mr Gilbert Hargreaves at Crosshills and was closely associated with Sutton Baptist Chapel and Sunday school. During the Great War, the Hargreaves family were now living at 20 North Street, Sutton. After turning 18 years of age, Percy enlisted into the 2/4th battalion of the West Riding Regiment at Halifax on the 14th April 1917. He entered the theatre of war in France on the 31st January 1918. The final major German offensive of the Great War was the Second Battle of the Marne fought from the 15th July - 6th August 1918. This offensive failed when a series of Allied counter attacks overwhelmed the Germans, including the Battle of the Tardenois, fought from the 20th July - 31st July 1918. Percy’s battalion as part of the 62nd West Riding Division was thrown straight into this attack. Several days of very heavy fighting resulted in high casualties for minimal gains. Pte Percy Hargreaves was shot in the abdomen on the 1st day of the Battle of the Tardenois. He was treated in a field hospital but died of wounds the same day on the 20th July 1918. He was 19 years of age. |
Roger Davy
Ben Rhydding, Ilkley
Friday, July 20, 2018 23:20 |
Hello Andrew, my you are a long way away!
Just to say I have had a note from the Mayor of Saint-Imoges this evening, the 20th, that he has put the poppy wreath on Percy's grave today. He has promised to send some photos of the event so I will put them on here when I can. Particular thanks for all the extra detail you have sent. Best wishes too again to Paul.
Roger |
Paul Wilkinson
webmaster
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 08:36 |
from Roger Davy
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Posting to the forum is de-activated due to lack of use.
You are welcome to browse through posts but cannot add comments or start new topics.
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