Private Percy James Powell
| Date of Birth | 16/10/1887 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 29 |
| Date of Death | 10/08/1917 |
| Service Number | G/11798 |
| Military Service | The Buffs East Kent Regiment |
| Merton Address | 117 Tynemouth Road Mitcham |
| Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
Percy James who was born in Hampstead on the 16th of November in 1887 was the sixth child of Mary Ann Cobb and George Joseph Powell. His parents Mary Ann and George had married on the 15th of April in 1871, At the time of his marriage, George describes his occupation as that of a house decorator.
Percy was baptised with two of his brothers on the 16th of August 1889 at St Mary’s Church in Balham. Baptismal records show that George was now employed as a commercial traveller and that the Powell family resided at 4 Chetwode Rood in Tooting.
According to the 1891 Census, the Powell family with their 7 children had continued to reside at 4 Chetwode Road in Tooting where George was still employed as a commercial traveller along with George’s brother 36-year-old Charles who was employed as a clerk.
The 1901 Census reveals that 13-year-old Percy had continued to reside at 4 Chetwode Road with his parents and three of his brothers. The Powell family also employed a Maria Pridham a16-year-old servant.
By 1911, 23-year-old Percy still resided at home with his parents and 2 of his brothers at 66 Links Road in Tooting. His parents had been married for 39 years and out of their ten children, seven had survived to become adults.
In 1913, Percy met and married 22-year-old Phyllis Fawcett on the 5th of January 1913 at Christ Church in Mitcham. At the time of his marriage, Percy was employed as a warehouse man.
Percy enlisted in the East Buffs Regiment in November 1915. At the time of enlistment, he was still employed as a wool warehouse man who resided at 10 Thirsk Road in Gorringe Park with his wife Phyllis and their son Denis Percival who had been born on the 28th of May in 1913.
Percy’s service record reveals that at the age of 27 years, he was 5ft and 7 1/2 inches tall with a mole on his right forearm. At first, Percy was posted to the army reserve before being mobilized on the 12th of August 1916 and was then transferred to the British Expeditionary Force on the 9th of December 1916. Percy was killed in action in Belgium on the 10th of August 1817 while serving with the Buffs, he is remembered at the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Phyllis Powell was awarded a widow’s pension of 18s and 9d to bring up her son on the 22nd 0f January 1918.