Sgt 15829 Percy Hancock

• Age: 31
• From: Birkenhead, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Percy Hancock was born on 06th May 1885 at Birkenhead and was the son of Samuel Hancock and his wife Margaret (nee Bentley). He was christened on 21st June 1885 in Christ Church, Claughton. Samuel and Margaret married in 1873 at St John's Church, Birkenhead.. Percy had older siblings Harry Bentley, Lavinia Hannah, and Samuel, and a younger sister Margaret Esther.

The 1891 Census records that the family live at 57A Woodchurch Road in Birkenhead. Samuel is aged 40, an architect and surveyor born in Birkenhead, Margaret is aged 39, born in Horwich, Lancashire. Percy is 5 years old, a scholar, and has three older siblings; Harry aged 16 who is an apprentice cotton broker, Lavinia aged 11 and Samuel aged 8 are scholars.

Percy attended Claughton Higher Grade School between 1890-97 and then Birkenhead Institute 1898-1900. The famous war poet Wilfred Owen also attended Birkenhead Institute from 1901-1907.

In October 1900, when he was 15, likely on leaving school, Percy applied for employment to the Union Marine Insurance Company of Liverpool. He stated on his application form that, among other subjects, he had studied French in school, and shorthand (80 w.p.m.), and had passed the College of Preceptors Exams in 1899, as well as the South Kensington College of Mathematics Stage I Exam.

Percy’s sister Lavinia married Frederick Cope in 1900.

At the time of the 1901 Census, his father, Samuel is now 52 years of age and is still an architect and surveyor. His mother Margaret is 49. Percy's brother Harry is now in cotton sales for a broker, Samuel is a builders clerk, Percy aged 15, is a trainee insurance clerk and the family have another daughter called Margaret who is 7. Their 84 year old grandmother Lavinia Hancock is also living with the family and also Isabella Dickson who is a nurse, so presumably there to look after her.

Percy’s father Samuel died in 1910, aged 61. He was an esteemed and popular member of the Tixall Bowling Club and one of the best known bowlers in the district. His son Harry was a talented cricketer and captain of the Oxton Cricket Club, and was an all-round sportsman.

At the time of the 1911 Census the widowed Margaret is aged 60 and has four of her unmarried children still living at home at 57A Woodchurch Road. Harry, 37, is a raw cotton salesman for a brokers, Samuel, 28, is an assistant land surveyor, Margaret 17 is living at home, and Percy 26 is an insurance clerk with the Union Marine Insurance Company. Also staying at the address is three year old Frederick Cope, Lavinia’s son.

Percy enlisted on the 01st September 1914 at St. George's Hall in Liverpool, joining the 17th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private 15829. He gave his age as 29 years and 117 days and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet four and 5/8 inches tall, weighed 132lbs, 36" chest with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. SDGW gives his residence on enlistment as Liverpool.

He was billeted at Prescot Watch Factory from 14^th September 1914, he trained there and also at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 17th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

26.11.14: Appointed paid Lance Corporal.

03.4.15: Promoted to Corporal.

07.11.15: Embarked for France with his battalion.

05.3.16: Appointed unpaid Lance sergeant.

02.6.16-11.6.16: Granted leave.

08.6.16: Promoted to Sergeant.

He was killed in action on the 30th July 1916, aged 31, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

17th Battalion Diary 

The Battalion was in support to 19 & 20 Battalions K.L.R. 2 Coys. behind 19th & 2 Coys. behind 20th. Very thick mist. The attack was pushed home to the objective in places but in the main was held up by machine gun fire from hidden machine guns.

Fighting continued all day swaying backwards and forwards until by 6pm about 300 yards in depth had been gained & consolidated all along our front.

Casualties in the 17th Battalion were 15 Officers and 281 Other Ranks

Further details are reported in more detailed by Everard Wyrall in his book The History of the King’s Regiment (Liverpool) 1914-1919 Volume II 1916-1917

The 17th King’s had advanced (two companies each behind the 19th and 20th Battalions) in small columns. They too suffered heavily from machine-gun fire and were quickly absorbed into the waves that preceded them. They also shared the gains and losses of that terrible day.

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55th Division during the early hours of the 31st July.

The events of 30th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone. 

The Birkenhead News of Wednesday 23rd August, 1916 carried two in Memoriam insertions.

"Birkenhead Sergeant Falls in Action"

" Only 31 years of age, Sergeant Percy Hancock, of

the King's Liverpool Rgt, has been killed in action.

He was the youngest son of Mr. (the late) Samuel Hancock and Mrs Hancock, of 57a Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead.

KILLED IN ACTION

Hancock. July 30th. Sergt. P. Hancock (Percy) (31)

Killed in Action, Kings (Liverpool) Regiment.

youngest son of the late Samuel Hancock and Mrs.

Hancock, 57a Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead and dearly loved fiance of Gladys M. Kettle.  

Gladys May Kettle lived at 671 Borough Road in 1911, when she was 21, with her mother and siblings.  One of her brothers, Rupert, enlisted on 08th August 1914 having served four years in the 1st Volunteer Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment, and arrived in France in February 1915 with the 5th Battalion. K.L.R. He was wounded in action at the Battle of Festubert on 16th May 1915 and died of his wounds two days later. Rupert, 31, now rests in Bethune Town Cemetery.

Gladys never married.

Percy was reported killed in the Liverpool Daily Post on 12th September 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s(Liverpool Regiment) Hancock, 15829, Sergt. P. (Birkenhead); 

His body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, France.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916.

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.

Percy earned his three medals, which his mother signed for, as well as the Memorial Plaque and Scroll.

She received Percy's outstanding Army pay and a War Gratuity of £11-10s, and was awarded a gratuity in lieu of a pension.

Probate of his estate, in the amount of £914-19s-5d, was granted to his mother.

We also know from Percy’s war service record that his brother Samuel served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and was later transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He spent some time in Wharncliffe War Hospital in Sheffield as that is his recorded address in 1919. Samuel married Margaret Dickson (who was the daughter of the nurse Isabella) in 1911. He survived the war; his pension claim for gastritis was rejected on the grounds that it was not attributable to his service.

In 1919 Margaret was still at 57A Woodchurch Road with son Harry, 45, and daughter Margaret, 25. Mrs Hancock later moved to Halcyon Main Road, Irby.

His brother, Samuel, served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and was later transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.  He survived the war; his pension claim for gastritis was rejected on the grounds that it was not attributable to his service.

Harry, who never married, died in 1923 aged 48.

His mother appears to have died in 1933, aged about 82.

Percy's British War Medal and Victory medal were sold in 1978 (No trace of 14/15 star) from a closed public house being used as a storage unit for an Antique dealer in Victoria Road, New Brighton. At that time the medals were accompanied by a bronze type Pals badge and a similar pair of medals to a brother of Percy's who had served in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

Percy is commemorated on the following Memorials:

Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall, Panel 55 Left 

Tixall Bowling and Social Club, Claughton   

Percy, having attended Birkenhead Institute, is recorded as one of the old boys who died in World War One in their commemorative Jubilee magazine published in 1939. His name is on the memorial which was displayed at the school until it closed in 1970. The plaque was then moved to Birkenhead Library.

We currently have no further information on Percy Hancock, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.