Part 152

=PENSON, REGINALD=, Private, No. 2391, 2nd Battn. (Royal Fusiliers) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Frederick Penson, of 8, Burns Street, Mansfield, Nottingham, by his wife, Mary Ann, dau. of Israel Dook; _b._ Leicester 11 April, 1887; educ. at Gainsboro’; was an employee in the Army and Navy Stores at Westminster; volunteered and joined the Royal Fusiliers, 6 Sept. 1914; went to Malta with his Battn., 9 Sept.; proceeded to France, 30 Dec., and was killed in action near Armentières, 16 May, 1915; _unm._ Buried at Ferme-de-la-Buterne, Chapelle d’ Armentières. Capt. R. Henman wrote: “It is with the deepest regret I have to inform you that your son was killed this morning whilst observing the effect of artillery fire. I would like to offer you my most sincere sympathy as well as that of the whole company. We shall all miss your dear son most awfully, as his genial manner, his courage, and his willingness to do any work made him loved by everyone.” Private Penson was a fine vocalist and won a £100 scholarship in London for singing.

=PENTER, EDWARD SYDNEY=, Petty Officer, 159207, H.M.S. Monmouth; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=PEPPER, JAMES WILLIAM THOMAS=, B.A., Private, No. 793, 1/5th Battn. (The London Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of James William Pepper, of 15, West Cliff, Whitstable, Local Secretary and Correspondent at Whitstable for the Kent Education Committee, by his wife, Emma Maria, dau. of John Harlow; _b._ Whitstable, co. Kent, 2 July, 1891; educ. Simon Langton School, Canterbury, and Goldsmiths’ College, London (B.A. 1912), and on leaving there was for several months a supplementary teacher for the Kent Education Committee, later being appointed certificated teacher at Bridge Road Council School, Harlesden, under the Willesden Education Committee, who wrote highly of his influence and of his ability. On the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, he volunteered for foreign service and joined the London Rifle Brigade in Sept.; went to France with the first draft to join the 1/5th Battn., on active service in Flanders, in Jan. 1915; served in the trenches from Jan. to April; retired to the rear after Easter for a rest, but was suddenly ordered up with his regt. to the support of the Canadians at the Ypres salient, and was killed in action there, 26 April, 1915; _unm._ Buried at Fortuin, near St. Julien. He obtained a Junior County Scholarship at ten years of age and later a County Bursary; was especially interested in history and languages, and at the time war was declared was making a special study of Anglo-Saxon, and Old English. During his last two years at College he played successfully as a member of the College Rugby Team, and was also interested in cricket.

=PEPPIATT, WILLIAM HENRY=, Private, No. 9556, 5th Battn. (London Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), 2nd _s._ of the late William Robert Peppiatt, by his wife, Emily Elizabeth, dau. of the late Charles Giles; _b._ Stoke Newington, London, 2 Nov. 1888; educ. Bancroft’s School, Woodford Wells; entered the service of the London & North-Western Railway Co. in 1907, and when war broke out was in the General Manager’s office at Euston; he had joined the London Rifle Brigade in 1912, and volunteered for foreign service in Aug. 1914; went to France in Nov. and died at Ploegsteert, 5 Feb. 1915, of wounds received in action there the previous day; _unm._ Buried in the London Rifle Brigade Cemetery, Ploegsteert, Major C. Burnell, the officer commanding his company, wrote: “I personally feel very much his loss, he was one of those always willing to help and always cheerful even when things were at their worst.” He was one of the team of his regt. which won the Territorial Marathon in 1913, and one of the contingent from the London Rifle Brigade which marched to Brighton in record time. He was also an expert bayonet fighter.

=PEPYS, FRANCIS=, D.S.O., 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 2nd _s._ of Capt. Arthur Pepys, of Knowle House, Budleigh Salterton, late 60th Rifles, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of the Rev. John Lomax; _b._ Budleigh Salterton, co. Devon, 2 April, 1891; educ. Charterhouse; gazetted 2nd Lieut. in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire L.I., 24 May, 1913; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 13 Aug. 1914; took part in the retreat from Mons, the Battles of the Marne and the Aisne, and the repulse of the Prussian Guards at Ypres, 11 Nov. and was killed in action the following day by the bursting of a shell; _unm._ Buried at Zonnebeke. 2nd Lieut. Pepys was awarded the D.S.O. for conspicuous good work on 3 Nov. “in advancing from his trench and assisting in driving away a party of the enemy who were commencing to dig a new trench within thirty yards of his own. Thirty of the enemy were shot down on the occasion.” He was also mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French’s Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915. His elder brother, 2nd Lieut. John Pepys, was killed in action at Mons, 23 Aug. 1914 (see following notice).

=PEPYS, JOHN=, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, eldest _s._ of Capt. Arthur Pepys, of Knowle House, Budleigh Salterton, late 60th Rifles, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of the Rev. John Lomax; _b._ Budleigh Salterton, co. Devon, 7 May, 1890; educ. Charterhouse, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst: gazetted 2nd Lieut. King’s Own Yorkshire L.I., 9 Nov. 1910; went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 14 Aug. 1914, and was killed in action at Mons, on the 23rd, three hours after going into action as machine-gun officer; _unm._ Buried at Wasmes. His younger brother, 2nd Lieut. Francis Pepys, D.S.O., was killed in action at Ypres, 12 Nov. 1914 (see preceding notice).

=PEPYS, REGINALD WHITMORE=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Worcestershire Regt., yst. _s._ of the Rev. Herbert George Pepys, M.A., Hon. Canon of Worcester Cathedral (Florence Court, Torquay) by his wife, Louisa Harriet, dau. of John Whitmore Isaac, of Boughton Park, co. Worcester, and grandson of the Right Rev. Henry Pepys, D.D., Bishop of Worcester [yr. brother of Charles Christopher, 1st Earl of Cottenham]; _b._ Hallow Vicarage, Worcester, 3 Jan. 1883; educ. Haileybury College, and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut., Worcestershire Regt., 18 Jan. 1902, and promoted Lieut., 2 July, 1904, served with the West African Regt. from 19 Sept. 1908 to 12 May, 1913, obtaining his company, 24 May, 1913, in which year he rejoined the Worcestershire Regt., and was appointed to the 2nd Battn.; went to France with the Expeditionary Force in Aug. 1914, and died in hospital at Chateau de Vermeil, 21 Sept. following, of wounds received in action the previous day, during the Battle of the Aisne. The Adjutant wrote: “He was shot while leading his men in a very hot corner. He was doing his duty to the full extent: he could do no more. He was shot through the chest, and I eventually carried him to the hospital, badly hit, but quite cheerful. He was commanding A Coy. when he was killed, as Capt. Carr, who came out in command of that company, was killed two days before. He is buried in the beautiful grounds of the Château de Vermeil, which was used as a temporary field hospital”; and Sergt. Hill: “Our first place to go for was an empty trench, which we occupied under heavy gun and rifle fire; but it was an absolute death-trap for anyone to show themselves. During this time, I can assure you that Capt. Pepys gave his orders with the coolness as though he had been at Aldershot. After a time there was a break in the fire, and then came the final order to charge, and the Captain jumped up, revolver and sword in hand, to lead the company forward, and I was with him. His wounds were caused by a rifle bullet hitting him in the chest. We were all pleased to think that we had Capt. Pepys posted to take command of the company after the death of our previous commander, the late Capt. Carr, and the whole company deeply regretted that he had been taken from us so soon.” Capt. Pepys _m._ at Iffley Church, near Oxford, 27 July, 1914, Maud Mael, dau. of William Foster, of Beechwood Iffley; _s.p._

=PERCY, HENRY EDWARD=, Private, No. 750, Honourable Artillery Company, elder _s._ of Josceline Hugh Percy, of 49, Talbot Road, Highgate [grandson of the Right Rev. Lord Hugh Percy D.D., Bishop of Carlisle, yr. brother of George, 5th Duke of Northumberland], by his wife, Grace Anne, dau. of Edward Percy Thompson; _b._ Southampton, 6 Aug. 1893; educ. Darlston Court, Swanage, and St. Bees School, Cumberland; was in Equity and Law Life Assurance Office, Lincoln’s Inn Fields; joined the H.A.C. in Feb. 1913; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; went to France 18 Sept. 1914, and was killed in action near Kemmel, 25 Feb. 1915; _unm._ Buried at Kemmel.

=PERCY, LEONARD SIDNEY=, Private, No. 1623, 1st Battn. (Royal Fusiliers) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Charles John Percy, of 16, Stuart Road, West Kilburn, by his wife, Elizabeth, dau. of H. Kent; _b._ Salisbury, co. Wilts, 13 Aug. 1896; educ. St. Mark’s School, Marleborne; was a Milkman; joined the Royal Fusiliers in 1913; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914; trained in Malta for six months; went to France, 10 March, and died in the Australian Hospital, Wimereux, 14 Oct. 1915, of wounds received in action during the Battle of Loos, 26 Sept.; _unm._ Buried at Wimereux.

=PERCY, WILLIAM REGINALD MINSHULL=, Private, No. 9755, 5th Battn. (Rifle Brigade) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of John Henry Percy, of Bod Meurig, Rhyl, by his wife, Catherine, dau. of William Minshull, of Mold; _b._ Southport, 4 Feb. 1895; educ. Epworth College, Rhyl, and then entered the office of the Prudential Society. On the declaration of war in Aug. 1914, he joined the London Rifle Brigade, and was killed in action near Ypres, 27 Feb. 1915; _unm._ Buried near St. Julien. His Capt. wrote of him as a great loss, “he was so cheery with a sort of Irish wit about him that made him excellent company.” One of his comrades wrote: “The whole battn. was under heavy shell fire at the time, and you will be glad to know that Reggie behaved magnificently during the whole period. He was in fact one of the most popular fellows in the platoon.” A writer in the Ibis said: “Clean-minded, high-spirited, with a charm of manner that captivated all with whom he came in contact, he was the embodiment of joyous youth. The cruel eclipse of this bright life has cast a shadow which only the years in their course can lighten.” From the Headmaster of Epworth College: “Many old Epworthians will remember the skilful drawings executed by W. R. M. P. His caricatures were the best this school have ever produced. All of us, masters and boys, at one time or another provided him with subjects for his friendly but critical pencil. The men of his company were fortunate in having a comrade so vivacious, and so full of kindly humour. Their testimony and that of the officers of the battn. show the high regard in which he was held, and to this testimony we add our tribute of esteem and affection.”

=PERHAM, JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 14848, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=PERKINS, ALEXANDER=, Leading Seaman, 227224, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=PERKINS, ARTHUR=, A.B. (R.F.R., Ch. B. 10386), 203819, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=PERKINS, CHARLES EDWARD=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 9009), S.S. 105825, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=STEELE-PERKINS, CYRIL STEELE=, Lieut., 1st Battn. The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regt., only surviving _s._ of George Chapman Steele-Perkins, of 30, Weymouth Place, Portland Place, W., and Kingsdown, near Deal, M.D., by his wife, Alice, dau. of Edward Chapman, of Sydney, New South Wales; _b._ Streatham, S.W., 27 Feb. 1887; educ. St. Paul’s School, London University and Sandhurst; from which latter he was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 1st Battn. Royal Lancashire Regt. 8 Feb. 1908, and promoted Lieut. 12 Sept. 1911. On the outbreak of war he went with that regt. to the Front, and was killed in action at Haucourt, between Cambray and Le Cateau, France, 26 Aug. 1914; _unm._ In an article headed “Our Troops Under Fire,” in “The Times,” 8 Sept. 1914 the writer said: “Then there was Lieut. Steele-Perkins, who died one of the grandest deaths a British officer could wish for. He was lifted out of the trenches wounded four times, but, protesting, he crawled back again and remained there till he was mortally wounded.” The following account appeared in “The Scout,” 26 Sept. 1914, p. 54: “On Aug. 26, 1914, The King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regt. was very heavily engaged. One of the greatest heroes of the fight was Lieut. Steele-Perkins. As the German hordes advanced, he--one of the few officers left--walked along the trenches, encouraging the men to do their utmost. No fear had he of danger. What the men could face he was willing to endure. A shell exploded, wounding him severely, and he was carried out of the trenches, protesting loudly. No sooner had he been carried to safety than he crawled back to the trenches; while he could move he would be with his men--they needed his presence to spur them on. ‘Ah,’ said one of his sergeants, ‘he was a proper man, he was. We would do anything for him.’ Four times he was lifted out of trenches, badly wounded, and four times he crawled back again, more feeble each time--nothing but actual physical weakness would keep him from sharing the dangers of his men. Then came the end--from a shell bursting overhead.”

=PERRETT, ERNEST=, Petty Officer, 206389, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=PERRETT, WILLIAM NELSON=, Boy, 1st Class, J. 24698, H.M.S. Hawke, _s._ of Frederick Nelson Perrett, of 265, Dale Street, Chatham; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914.

=PERRY, ALFRED HENRY=, Leading Telegraphist, J. 867, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914.

=PERRY, ARTHUR THEODORE=, Private, No. 3/140, New Zealand Army Medical Corps, _s._ of Arthur Perry, of Northampton; _b._ Wellington, New Zealand, 4 May, 1886; educ. at Southampton, England; then returned to New Zealand; joined the New Zealand Army Medical Corps after the outbreak of war, 15 Aug. 1914; left Egypt for the Dardanelles 12 April, 1915; took part in the landing on the 25th April, and was killed in action there, 22 May, 1915; _unm._ Buried in the English Cemetery, Gallipoli. Lieut.-Col. C. M. Begg, commanding N.Z. Field Ambulance, wrote: “He was a very hard worker and was a general favourite in the company. During the time we have been under fire here, he was indefatigable in his attention to the wounded and never hesitated to expose himself in the course of his duties. May it be some comfort to you to know he died doing his duty;” and a comrade: “He died after a month of the most heroic and unselfish work given for the sake of others. He met this noble end as he had lived--a Christian, and by his patience and unselfish endeavours was loved by us all.”

=PERRY, EVELYN WALTER COPLAND=, 2nd Lieut., Royal Flying Corps (Special Reserve), only child of the late Walter Copland Perry, Barrister-at-Law, by his wife, Evelyn Emma (29, Thurloe Square, S.W.), sister of Lieut.-Col. Horace Robert Stopford, Coldstream Guards (killed in action at the Modder River, 28 Nov. 1899), and only dau. of the late Robert Stopford [grandson of James, 2nd Earl of Courtown, K.P.]; _b._ at 5, Manchester Square, London, 4 Dec. 1890; educ. St. David’s (Mr. Joyce’s), Reigate; Ripton, and Trinity College, Cambridge, and on leaving there worked at the Royal Aircraft Factory from Feb. 1911 to Aug. 1912. He obtained his aviation certificate (No. 130) on a Valkyrie monoplane at Hendon, 30 Aug. 1911; was gazetted 2nd Lieut., R.F.C. (S.R.), 21 March, 1913, and obtained his certificate as a First Class Pilot, Upavon, 13 Aug. following. On 1 Aug. 1914, he received orders to join the R.F.C. at Netheravon, which he did on 5 Aug., and attd. to the 3rd Squadron he flew with it to Dover on 12 Aug. The following day 42 aeroplanes flew to Amiens, whence he wrote but one letter, full of his extreme enjoyment in these flights, and adding that he was to keep the fine machine he had been using; but apparently these hopes were not realised and he had to give it up. He was killed instantaneously together with his pilot, H. E. Parfitt, on Sunday, 16 Aug 1914, on leaving Amiens, on a B.E. 8 machine, being the first British officer to lose his life on active service in France in the European War. The machine apparently stalled at about 150 ft., and caught fire on reaching the ground. He was buried in the cemetery at St. Acheuil, the following day; _unm._ Flight Commander P. Shepherd, R.N., wrote: “I knew your son both at Eastchurch and Upavon, and we have lost from the Flying Corps a most gallant officer.” Lieut. Perry did a considerable amount of flying while on the staff of the Royal Aircraft Factory on their early experimental machines, including testing a hydroplane at Fleet. On leaving the Royal Aircraft Factory he joined Mr. Sopwith at Brooklands, and flew very well on his old “Burgess-Wright” with the “Gnome” engine. He left Mr. Sopwith to take an Avro biplane to Portugal, where he put the machine through its tests for the Portuguese Army. In the course of these tests he flew over Lisbon and eventually, owing to engine failure, made a wonderfully skilful forced landing in the Tagus, without any injury to machine, or himself or his passenger even getting their feet wet. On his return to England Mr. Perry, in conjunction with Mr. Beadle, started building aeroplanes on their own account, and produced a small biplane on Avro-cum-B.E. lines, but with many original points, which flew extremely well (this was afterwards purchased by the Admiralty). Mr. Perry next started aviation works at Twickenham, and produced the interesting and beautifully made flying boat which was one of the features of the last Olympic Show.

=PERRY, GEORGE HENRY=, Leading Stoker, 1245, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914.

=PERRY, GEORGE HERBERT GRESLEY=, Capt., 2nd Battn. West Yorkshire Regt., only _s._ of Brigadier-General Hugh Whitchurch Perry, late R.A., Army Ordnance Department, by his wife, Minna Grace, dau. of Edward Reid Nelson Druce, of Victoria Park, near Dover; _b._ Plumstead, near Cape Town, 6 Aug. 1893; educ. Hillside, West Malvern, Haileybury College and Sandhurst; gazetted 2nd Lieut., West Yorkshires, 4 Sept. 1912, and promoted Lieut. 14 Aug. 1913; was wounded on 12 March, 1915, during the counter-attack at Neuve Chapelle, and died in No. 7 Stationary Hospital, at Boulogne, 15 March following; _unm._ He was mentioned for gallantry in the field by F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French, in his Despatch of 31 May, 1915, and his Commanding Officer, Major P. L. Ingpen, wrote of him: “He was hit during the German counter-attack on 12 March, 1915, while pluckily working his machine guns. I need hardly say that he will be a great loss to the regt. and one that cannot easily be replaced. It was owing to his disposition of his guns that the regt. was able to beat off the attack with great loss to the enemy. In my report I mentioned him for special commendation and it was forwarded by the Brigadier.” Although he had been at the Front some months, this was his first engagement.

=PERRY, WILLIAM=, Private, No. 6668, 3rd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of Thomas Perry, of 38, Chester Street, Wolverhampton, Foreman Tinsmith, by his wife, Jane, dau. of James Darling, of Birmingham; _b._ Wolverhampton, co. Stafford, 10 March, 1881; educ. St. Andrew’s School there; enlisted 1905; served three years with the Colours, and six with the Reserve; mobilised 4 Aug. 1914; went to France in Aug., and was killed in action at Poperinghe, during the First Battle of Ypres, 10 Nov. following; _unm._ Buried in Poperinghe Cemetery.

=PERSSE, CECIL DE BURGH=, Lieut., 7th (Princess Royal’s) Dragoon Guards (attd. Irish Guards), 4th and yst. _s._ of the late Henry Sadleir Persse, of Glenarde and Kiltullagh, co. Galway, J.P., by his wife, Eleanor Alice, dau. of Col. Thomas Seymour, of Ballymore Castle, co. Galway, J.P.; _b._ 17 July, 1875; educ. Cheltenham College and Trinity College, Cambridge, from which he took his degree. In the South African War (1899–1902) he served with the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry, and took part in the operations in the various Colonies, later receiving a commission in the 7th Dragoon Guards. For these services he received the Queen’s medal with three clasps, and the King’s medal with two clasps. When the Boer War was concluded he settled down in Government employment for a while. He received a commission in the Reserve of Officers of the 7th Dragoon Guards, 10 April, 1912, and on the outbreak of the European War rejoined his old regt. but as the infantry regts. were more in need of officers than the cavalry, he volunteered to exchange into the infantry, and was transferred to the Irish Guards, served with them in France and Flanders, and was seriously wounded in the head, in action in Flanders, 18 May, 1915. He was brought home to Netley Hospital, and seemed at first to be making satisfactory progress towards recovery, but some weeks later it was necessary to perform an operation; blood poisoning afterwards supervened and he died there on Monday 19 July; _unm._ He was buried in the Hospital Cemetery.