Percy Mead was born on Thursday, 14th June 1894 at 17 Piccott’s End near Hemel Hempstead and was baptised at St. Mary’s Church two months later on Wednesday, 8th August. He was the only child born to Ann Mead who sadly died on Thursday, 21st June, only a week after she had given birth to Percy. Following their daughter’s death George and Betsy Mead, Percy’s grandparents, raised him as their own son. His grandfather George died in 1900.

After Percy left school at thirteen, he found employment with a local baker and by 1911 he himself is listed as ‘Baker’ on the Census return.

It is not known where Percy was living on the outbreak of war, but it may well have been in Kettering or Wellingborough where he enlisted. It is possible that he had moved to the area because of his work, but we do know that he enlisted with the Northamptonshire Regiment sometime after July 1915.

He was posted to the 6th (Service) Battalion and went to Salisbury Plain to undergo basic training. The 6th Battalion was formed at Northampton in September 1914 as part of “K2” and attached as Army Troops to 18th (Eastern) Division, 54th Brigade. It was mobilised and went to France on the 26th July 1915 and Percy followed his comrades on the 16th December 1915.

He spent time in the trenches until July 1916 when the 54th Brigade were ordered to attack Trones Wood, which the British had been trying to capture for six days without success. The 12th Middlesex were to lead the assault with the 6th Northants in support, but at the last moment the order was reversed and the 6th led the attack instead.

At 4:30 a.m. the 6th Northants crossed 1,000 yds of open ground in artillery formation through a German barrage and suffered heavy casualties, before rushing the enemy trenches at around 6:00a.m. With the support of the 12th Middlesex the Wood was eventually captured, and the Germans retreated.

The 54th Brigade incurred 1592 casualties throughout July with many of these occurring during the assault on Trones Wood. The 6th Northants suffered more than a third of all casualties with 538 consisting of the following: Officers, Killed 5, Wounded 11; Other Ranks, Killed 63, Wounded 415, Missing 44.

Percy was amongst the 44 men missing and was presumed dead ‘on or since’ the 14th July. He death date was eventually confirmed as Friday, 14th July 1916.

Percy is Remembered with Honour on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France, Pier and Face 11A and 11D.

He was 22 years old when he died.

Percy was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.