Private Percy Leonard Pudney
| Date of Birth | c. 1894 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 23 |
| Date of Death | 5 May 1918 |
| Service Number | 291342 |
| Military Service | 1st Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment |
| Merton Address | 7 Broadwater Terrace, Merton Park |
| Local Memorial | Rutlish School, Merton |
Additional Information
Born in October 1894, Percy was the second child of William Pudney, a bookseller’s clerk and his wife Minnie. The couple were then living at 7 Bird-in-Bush Road, Camberwell and also had an older son, William jnr.
By 1911 the Pudney family had moved to 7 Broadwater Terrace, Merton Park – this was situated at the bottom end of Cannon Hill Lane. Now aged 16, Percy attended Rutlish School. His father was a commercial salesman, working for a publisher and William was employed as an insurance clerk.
Percy was 19 when war broke out and is thought to have volunteered for military service during the early stages of the conflict. He became a Private with the 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment. This was part of the Regular army, so it is likely that Percy was on active service for the majority of the war.
The 1st Battalion fought with distinction in several of the major battles of World War 1, including Mons, Le Cateau, the Marne, Aisne and Messines in 1914; Ypres in 1915 and the campaigns on the Somme in 1916 (High Wood, Guillemont, Flers-Courcelette and Le Transloy.) Between July and November 1917 Percy and his comrades fought in the bloody 3rd battle of Ypres, also known as Passchendaele, Casualties were high and troops became bogged down in thick mud caused by torrential storms. In December the 1st Battalion was transferred to the Italian front to support resistance forces near the River Piave. However in April 1918 the men were rushed back to the Western Front to challenge a surprise offensive by German forces. The battalion fought in the battles of Lys and Hazebrouck, which raged for much of that month and were part of the defence of the Nieppe forest.
According to the contemporary war diary, Percy’s unit was engaged in making tracks for the battalion HQ and digging support lines. On 5 May there was a report of 1 private killed and 4 others wounded. Percy must have amongst the latter group - he subsequently died of wounds, aged 23. It seems likely that Percy was treated at the 54th Casualty Clearing Station and died on the same day. He was buried at the Aire Communal Cemetery, which was built on the same site.
Percy is commemorated at St. Mary’s Church, Merton Park and his name also appears on the Rutlish School war memorial.