Percy Bacon
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Percival, known as Percy, was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Bacon (née Marriott). His father Thomas Bacon was born in Mansfield in 1850 and his mother Elizabeth Marriott was born in about 1850, also in Mansfield. They were married on 10 July 1869 at Mansfield St John the Evangelist and by 1911 had had 13 children of whom only 10 survived infancy or childhood. Ten children have been traced on the census 1881-1911, all were born in Mansfield and seven were baptised at St John the Evangelist; the baptismal register gave the parents' address as Stockwell Gate: Mary Ann (Polly) birth registered 1871 (J/F/M) bap. October 1875; Harry b. 1873 bap. October 1875; Thomas b. 1875 bap. June 1876; Alice b. 1878 bap. June 1878; Albert Horace b. January 1881 bap. March 1881, Wilfred John b. January 1883 bap. January 1885; Lillie (Lily) b. 1884 bap. January 1885; Beatrice Rose b. 1887; Percival (Percy) b. 1890 (A/M/J) and Bernard b. 1892. According to the baptismal register, the family was living on Stockwell Gate between 1875 and March 1881 but by the time of the 1881 Census Thomas, a labourer in an iron foundry, and Elizabeth were living at 55 Sutton Road, Mansfield. Also in the hosuehold were their five children Mary, Harry, Thomas, Alice and Albert. According to the baptismal register they were again living on Stockwell Gate in 1883 and 1885 and were recorded on Stockwell Gate on the 1891 Census. All nine of their surviving children were still living at home: Mary a cotton factory hand, Harry and Thomas who were both shoe hands, Alice, Albert, Wilfred, Lily, Beatrice and Percy (under 1 year). Bernard was born the following year. Thomas and Elizabeth had moved to 114 Sutton Road by 1901. Only Harry, a bricklayer, Lily and Beatrice both cotton spinners, Percy and Bernard were still at home. Also in the household were two lodgers, a coal miner and a foundry worker. By 1911 Thomas, an iron moulder, and Elizabeth were living at 126 Sutton Road and only their youngest son, Bernard, a coal miner, was still at home. There were two boarders in the household, both of whom were coal miners. Percy has not yet been traced on the 1911 Census. His father Thomas died in 1914 (J/A/S Mansfield). Reports in the local newspaper of Percy's death refer to his widow who lived in Vallance's Yard, Nursery Street, Mansfield. However, the information on the WW1 Pension Ledgers cards describes her as Mrs Lily Shepherd, 'unmarried wife or guardian of children of Percy Bacon'. No children were included on the pension ledger record. Percy's brother Albert attested in the Sherwood Foresters before the war but no record of war service has yet been traced. Their youngest brother Bernard served in the Lincolnshire Regiment but was medically discharged and died aged about 26 in 1918. (See 'Extra information')
Served as Percy Bacon. The 9th Battalion was raised in Derby in August 1914 as part of Kitchener's First New Army. The battalion sailed from Liverpool for Gallipoli via Mudros at the end of June 1915 and landed at Suvla Bay on 6/7 August. It was evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt in December 1915 and then posted to France in July 1916. Percy first served overseas in Gallipoli, 10 October 1915, and then in France where he was killed in action on 26 September 1916 when the battalion took part in an action to take a series of German trenches. He was buried in the AIF Burial Ground, Flers, France (grave XV.O.21). He qualified for the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. WW1 War Diairies: 9th Bn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), 11th Division. Mailley Maillet, 1 July 1916-Sept 30 1916. September 1916: In the Trenches Mailley Maillet. Constance Trench. 26 September 3.30am Relief of 6th Yorks completed. Tea got up with greatest difficulty. 11.30am Ready. 12.35pm Go Over. Trenches. 12.48pm 1st objective. 12.59pm Move from 1st objective. 1.17pm 2nd objective gained ‘B’ Coy. 1.45pm 2nd objective gained ‘A’ Coy. 2.30pm 3rd objective gained. [(11.30pm-2.45pm) ‘see attached report by CO 9th She. For.'] Hessian & Zollern. 2.45pm Battn HQ move to Zollern trench. 27 September. Hessian & Zollern. 10.00am received order to go to Joseph trench. 3.00am Coy in Hessian return to Joseph trench. 28 September. Joseph trench. Fatigues and consolidation of Joseph trench. 29 September 1916. Fatigues and Consolidation of Joseph trench. 30 September 1916. 7pm 1st Wilts. relieve Battn. March to Hedauville by Coys to Billets. Hedauville. 10.30pm Arrive CWGC - AIF Burial Ground (extract): 'Flers was captured on 15 September 1916, in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, when it was entered by the New Zealand and 41st Divisions behind tanks, the innovative new weapons that were used here for the first time. The village was lost during the German advance of March 1918 and retaken at the end of the following August by the 10th West Yorks and the 6th Dorsets of the 17th Division. The cemetery was begun by Australian medical units, posted in the neighbouring caves, in November 1916-February 1917. These original graves are in Plot I, Rows A and B. It was very greatly enlarged after the Armistice when almost 4,000 Commonwealth and French graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme, and later from a wider area.'
His brother Albert attested in the Sherwood Foresters on 3 January 1899 (6143 Private) age 18y 11m. A second attestation showed he enlisted in the Sherwood Foresters on 5 March 1902 (7242 Private). His brother Bernard served with Lincolnshire Regiment and was medically discharged on 20 July 1915 as physically unfit for war service due to heart problems. He died on 9 July 1918. (ASR) Mansfield Reporter, 20 October 1916: ‘Found On The Somme Battlefield. Private JG Fox, of the 9th Sherwood Foresters, has sent the above photographs which were recently picked up on the battlefield, and asks us to publish them in the hope that they will be claimed by someone. One of the photographs was taken by Mr Sylvester, of Mansfield.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Mansfield Reporter, 27 October 1916: ’Photographs Found on Battle Field Claimed. Mansfield Soldier Killed. Last week we published two photographs which were picked up on the battlefield of the Somme, and within a few hours they were claimed by Mrs L Bacon, No. 4, Vallance’s yard, Nursery-street. They were pictures of Mrs Vallance (sic) and her children and were sent to us by Private Fox, 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters. They were the property of Private Percy Bacon, No. 19614 ‘A’ Coy. 9th Battalion Sherwood Foresters, who enlisted on November 19th 1913, and was killed in action on the 26th of September, 1916. He was well-known in Mansfield and worked at Pleasley Colliery.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) Mansfield Reporter, 10 November 1916 (photograph): ‘Private Bacon. Mansfield. This soldier was killed recently in France and photographs of his wife and children were picked up on the battlefields, and sent to Mansfield. They were published in the ‘Reporter’, and claimed by his wife. Bacon, who worked at the Pleasley Colliery before enlistment, was killed in action on the 26thj September.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk Registers of Soldiers' Effects: his parents Thomas and Elizabeth were joint legatees.
