Percy Herbert Crockford

1896-1917

Father Nm: Albert Charles Crockford  1862  Dover, Kent

Mother Nm: Rose Eliza Blincoe [3389] born 1878 St. Pancras M.Q

Marriage Dt: September Qtr 1915 St Pancras.

K comments:

Spouse comments: Ada Farthing born 17 SEP 1896
died  JAN 1963   Lambeth, London

Children. Albert 1916

Born 1896

 

1911 CENSUS

St Pancras age 15  with mother who was remarried to William Ballard

 

WW1

Percy H Crockford Private S/16257, A/203347 Rifle Brigade, 12th and 16th Battalions King’s Royal Rifle Corps

Note:  Rifle Brigade number S/18321 Private John Frederick Nixon. Jack, as he was known to his friends and family, joined a service battalion of the Rifle Brigade in 1916

Suspect joined Rifle Brigade in 1915 transferred in UK to 12th KRRC and new service battalion number but then transferred to 19th KRRC late 1915 – early 1916

16th (Service) Battalion (Church Lads Brigade)
Formed at Denham, Bucks., on 19 September 1914 by Field-Marshal Lord Grenfell, Commandant of the Church Lads Brigade, from current and previous members of that organisation. Moved in March 1915 to Rayleigh but returned to Denham in May.
June 1915: moved to Clipstone Camp and came under orders of 100th Brigade in 33rd Division. Moved on to Perham Down in August 1915.
17 November 1915: landed at Le Havre.

1916

• 15-16^th Jul. High Wood.

  

  “At 8 am on the 15^th July, 33^rd Division launched an attack on the German Switch Line and the western and southern sides of High Wood. Fighting all the way, in support of the 7^th Division, further penetration was achieved until two-thirds of the Wood was in British hands. Later that night the Germans counter-attacked from their Switch Line within, and outside, the Wood. Both 7^th and 33^rd Divisions were forced to retreat within the Wood. British reinforcements improved the situation, but the Wood was by no means clear of Germans when 33^rd Division again attacked from the south behind an artillery barrage. Ravaged by machine-gun fire inside and outside High Wood, and long-range artillery fire, the troops stumbled around in the Wood and along the fringes lacking coherence, direction and an effective means of communication. The Germans slowly regained the Wood and on the 16^th July the British withdrew, having suffered a total of 2,500 casualties.”¹⁰

  “The 100^th Brigade attacked with the 9^th Highland Light Infantry on the left, in the front line, the 16^th KRRC being in support. The Highland Light Infantry was held up from the start by enfilade fire from High Wood. The Queen’s reached the enemy’s wire and found it uncut. Our 16^th Battalion was then put in to fill the gap between the two regiments. They advanced 1,000 yards over the open and lost heavily. Colonel Wyld was wounded and Captain E Wenham succeeded to command. The Battalion behaved most gallantly in this, its first big fight, and eleven Military Medals were awarded to NCO’s and riflemen for their conduct in the attack.”⁵

• 

1917

• 23^rd Apr.Arras, The action on the Hindenburg Line.Percy is fatally Wounded

  

  On April 23^rd the 33^rd Division attacked a section of the Hindenburg Line between Croisilles and Fontaine-lez-Croisille.² The attack was made towards the north-east, astride the Sensee River, with the 100^th Brigade on the right, the 98^th on the left.³ The 16^th KRRC were supporting the 1^st Queens attack which started from either side of the Croisilles/Fontaines Les Croisilles road towards the Hindenburg line and failed for a number of reasons.² Both battalions suffered very heavy losses in officers and other ranks. Casualties were 13 officers killed, wounded or missing out of the 14 who began the attack, losses among the other ranks were 26 killed 101 wounded and 308 missing. 7 of the officers were reported as German prisoners of war.⁴ CWGC gives 76 killed for this day.⁹

• Percy invalided to hospital likely via Casualty Clearing Centre hospital train or barge.
• 5 May. Dies at No 12 General Hospital, Rouen.

  

Burial

ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN

P. I. H. 2B.

France

Medals

Sources

1. 1. Ancestry  and BFA database
   2. National archives
   3. Long Long Trail

Gallery

There are service records in the National archives for this person they can be viewed and download from their website https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/