Pte 16373 Percy Alfred Humphrey

• Age: 25
• From: Tunbridge Wells
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

16373 Private Percy Alfred HUMPHREY, 18^th Battalion, KLR.  

Percy Alfred Humphrey known as Jack, was born on 16th January 1891 in Brenchley, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, he was one of eight children of Frank Humphrey and his wife  Minnie Clara (nee Hobbs) who were married in 1883 in Tonbridge. He was baptised on the 22^nd February 1891. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living on Castle Hill, Brenchley. His father Frank is a 25 year old farm carrier, born in Brenchley, Kent, whilst his mother Minnie C. is 27 years of age and was also born in Brenchley, children born in Brenchley; Cecilia E. aged 4, and Percy A. aged 3 months. 

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at 24 Hartnup Street, Maidstone. Percy is 10 years of age and lives with both parents and four siblings. His father is a 35 year old, asylum attendant born in Brenchley, Kent, whilst his mother is 37 years of age and was also born in Brenchley. Two of his siblings were also born in Brenchley; Cecilia E. aged 14  and Violet R. aged 8. His younger siblings were born in Maidstone; Archibald aged 4 and William F. aged 6 months.

By 1911 the family have moved to 146 Milton Street, Maidstone. Both parents are present in the household, his father Frank is aged 45, an attendant at Kent County Asylum, mother Minnie is aged 47, and they advise that they have been married for 27 years and eight of their ten children have survived. Those siblings still living at home are recorded as; Archibald Gerald aged 14, Arthur Reuben aged 12, William Frank aged 10, Grace Irene aged 7 and Daisy Beatrice aged 4. 

Percy is listed in the Census as a 20 year old draper's clerk living at 2/3/4 Kensington Square, London with 76 others all employed in the drapery trade.    

Percy enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 02^nd September 1914, aged 23 years 229 days, and giving his occupation as clerk and his next of kin as his father of 146 Milton Street. This address for his father is subsequently amended to Green Cafe, Victoria Road, New Brighton, which might explain how Percy came to be in Liverpool. He is described as being 5' 7" tall, weight 121lbs, with a 33" chest, a dark complexion, olive eyes and brown hair. His religion is stated to be Church of England. 

From the 23^rd September 1914 he was billeted at Hooton Park Race Course and remained there until 03^rd December 1914 when they moved into the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th 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. 

On 13^th February 1915 Percy was appointed L/Corporal (Unpaid) and in April that year was confirmed in the rank. Matters then appear to have taken a turn for the worse as on 12^th May 1915 while at Knowsley he was reprimanded for being AWOL for 24 hours; on 19^th June 1915 he was arrested after having been AWOL for more than 5 days and was deprived of his L/Corporal’s stripes and ordered to forfeit 7 days pay; on 9^th August 1915 he was given 14 days CB for insubordinate conduct while undergoing physical drill; 20 days later he gets 2 days CB for being absent from parade; and on 9^th September 1915 another 2 days CB for being AWOL for 8 hours. On 29^th October 1915 he was ordered to revert to the rank of private. Percy crossed to France on 07/11/1915 with his Battalion on board SS Invicta.

In January 1916 he was attached to the school of mortars and then to 112 Light Trench Mortar Company, rejoining his unit on 31^st January 1916. On 12^th February 1916 he began a five day attachment to 202 Field Company Royal Engineers before rejoining his Battalion. Between 27^th March and 28^th April 1916 he was attached to 21^st Brigade Machine Gun Company, again rejoining his Battalion.

He was killed in action during the attack at Montauban on 01^st July 1916.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.

Jack's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

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.”

Between 1917 and 1922 his effects and medals were sent to his father and in a sworn declaration dated 8^th May 1919, his father declared that Percy’s surviving relatives were himself of 146 Milton Street; Percy’s two brothers - Archibald Gerald, 23 years, and Arthur Reuben, 21 years, Private 108571 Sherwood Foresters; and Percy’s four sisters. He makes no reference to Percy’s mother although CWGC records, which would no doubt postdate 1919 show Percy as the son of Minnie Clara, 146 Milton Street, and the late Frank Humphrey.  

His father died on the 10^th October 1923 and was buried on the 12^th in Maidstone. 

Mother Minnie, dob 25^th November 1863, appears on the 1939 register at 35 Glebe Road, Maidstone with her married daughter Daisy B. Baker. She died, aged 84, in the December quarter of 1948. 

Percy’s service record shows that on or about 09^th December 1929, a James Barrow wrote an unsealed letter to the War Office which after perusal was forwarded to the last known address of Percy’s father. The contents of the letter were to the effect that Mr Barrow, 15 Linnet Lane, Liverpool and formerly Private 27539, 18^th KLR, “during the war served with 18^th Battalion KLR and was with Private Humphrey when he was killed when the Battalion was attacking the Glatz Redoubt on 1^st July 1916. I would now like to write to his parents and give them actual details as to the manner of his death. I have a faint recollection that he came from Maidstone - can you give me details of his parents’ address?” Unfortunately it is unknown whether Mr Barrow was able to get this memory off his chest with Percy’s family. Barrow is James Perry Barrow who enlisted in Liverpool on 17^th May 1915, served in France from 29^th December 1915 and was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps as Gunner 72959. He was a draughtsman from 1 Seafield Road, Crosby. On 1^st July 1916 he was serving with 21^st Brigade. He survived the war.

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