| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Percy Leonard Blyth was born in Cottingham the 7 Feb 1895, the son of Frederick Aken Blyth and Mary Elizabeth (nee Dixon), they married on 1 Mar 1894 at All Saints, Sculcoates. The family lived near Pearson Park, Hull but later moved to Skidby Ings where Frederick was a dairy farmer. The family later moved to Kenley Reach Farm, Thearne near Woodmansey. Percy became a farm worker, specifically a cowman.
Percy was called up for military service on 5 May 1916 and enlisted at Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 16 May 1916. He joined the Royal Field Artillery as a gunner, working with howitzer guns. He sailed from Devonport on the SS Persie on 16 Sep 1916 as part of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force and arriving on 22 Oct 1916. Percy was atttached to the Indian Army. He remained in Mesopotamia until 3 Jan 1918. Percy left this area for Egypt in Jan 1918, but was then sent to France on 3 Apr 1918 following the end of the Palestine campaign. He spent the rest of the war in France and later in Germany in the post-war occupation force in the Rhineland. In Jun 1918 Percy received head injuries in an accident caused by a run-away gun. It was the subject of an inquiry and categorised as an accident. On 23 Sep 1918 Percy was gassed. He left the Army in Sep 1919 and was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Percy returned to farming and on 5 Dec 1923 he married ADa Nicholson at St John’s Church, Newland, Hull, they had three children. Percy died in Goole in 1970.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |