Percy's Story.
EARLY LIFE
Percy Wilson was born on 30th May and baptised on 20th July 1890 at St John's Church, Macclesfield, the oldest son of Minnie (née Lytton) and Thomas Wilson, a gardener, of 3 Ivy Lane, Macclesfield. Percy's mother Minnie was from Ireland.
Percy was admitted to St John's Church of England School, Macclesfield, on 22nd March 1895, when the family lived at 347 Park Lane, and left the school in October 1899, having passed standard IV. By 1901, Percy was living at 278, Crompton Road, Macclesfield with his parents and younger siblings Elizabeth (9), Thomas (8) and Robert (5).
On 19th September 1905, when living at 74 Beech Lane and employed as an office boy, Percy enrolled at the Macclesfield Technical School to further his education. At the age of 20, in 1911, Percy was living with his family at 1 Taylor Square, Slater Street, Macclesfield and working as an order clerk for the Hovis flour mill. Percy's sister Elizabeth was not with the family on the night of the census and another brother had been born, Francis Edward Wilson, then aged 6.
WW1 SERVICE
Percy attested at Macclesfield in early September 1914, when he was living at 77 Paradise Street, joining the 7th Cheshire Regiment. After training, volunteers were sought to transfer to the 5th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment for immediate service in France. Percy was one of those who offered to transfer, and was drafted overseas to France/Belgium on 14th February 1915.
During his short time in Europe, Percy had been hospitalised - he had been the victim of an enemy gas attack. Percy was killed in action in Belgium on 2nd June 1915, aged 25 years. The war diary for the day simply states:
Ypres 2.6.15. 1 man killed, and 1 man wounded in trenches.
Percy's death was reported in the Macclesfield Times on 11th June 1915:
Another local soldier who has fallen is Percy Wilson, of 77 Paradise Street. The news of his death... comes from a letter received by his parents on Wednesday morning from Private F Perkin, another Macclesfield soldier who went out to the front with Private Wilson....
The letter... states: "I am very sorry to inform you of your son's death, which occurred last Tuesday whilst fetching some water. We all thought it was a safe place until three got hit; the other two were only slightly wounded... He was a brave lad, and was well-liked both by the officers and men..."
Private Wilson was one of the hundred Macclesfield Territorials who transferred from the 7th Battalion to the 5th to make up the strength of the latter before going out to the front. On February 20th, he wrote a brief letter to an office friend in which he stated: "Just a few lines to let you know I have arrived in the war area. We are about a mile behind the trenches, and are expecting to go up there any time now. We have just finished a 24 hour train ride to get here. This place is under shell fire, and I can tell you it was quite a queer experience to hear the boom of the guns for the first time...."
Prior to mobilisation, Private Wilson was employed at the Hovis Mill. He was a well known sportsman, and did exceedingly well at both football and cricket, having won several medals.
A letter from a comrade in the same battalion, Private J. Holland, printed in the Macclesfield Courier on 10th July 1915, states:
“We were relieved out of the trenches on Thursday night, after having been in 17 days….. We had an awful lot of casualties…. I am sorry to tell you we lost three Macclesfield lads. Percy Wilson was fetching some water from a pump we had rigged up behind the trench, and Sergeant-Major Green’s son was killed by a bullet. He was standing in a trench when a stray bullet entered his head, and when they got him to the dressing station he was dead. And then there was Dakin, out of Hurdsfield Road. He was killed by a sniper. The bullet went through his head and wounded another chap in the shoulder.”
COMMEMORATION
Private Percy Wilson is buried in grave ref. I. F. 9. in Spoilbank Cemetery, Belgium.
In Macclesfield, Private Percy Wilson is commemorated on the Park Green, Town Hall, St Michael's Church, and St Andrew's (All Saints) Church war memorials.
The Cheshire Roll of Honour would like to thank H.A.G. Carlisle for the picture and information on Percy.
Medal Index Card image reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Further research by Rosie Rowley, Congleton.