PRIVATE PERCIVAL CLEMENT ELLIS, HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY


PRIVATE PERCIVAL CLEMENT ELLIS, HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY. DIED OF WOUNDS 6th JANUARY 1915 AGED 22 YEARS.






Percival Clement Ellis was born in Steeton in 1891, the youngest son of Arthur Ellis, the managing director of Thwaites Vulcan Iron Foundry on Thornton Road,Bradford. The Ellis family moved to Ilkley at the beginning of the 20th Century and lived first at a house called Lark Hill and then at Mount Royd, Parish Ghyll Drive. Percy was a pupil at Bradford Grammar School before studying metallurgy at Leeds University where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps.

He appears to have been employed at his fathers firm when, following the death of his mother, the family moved to Richmond in Surrey. Percy was 22 years old when went to the headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) in Finsbury London on the 4th of August 1914. The HAC was the oldest unit in the British Army and very choosy about whom it allowed to join. Clearly, Percy was of the 'right sort' and was part of a large draft which brought the regiment up to strength. On 18th September just a few weeks after joining, Percy arrived in France. It is said that the recruits were virtually untrained and had to learn whilst in the front line. On 5th January 1915 Percy was wounded in fighting near to Mount Kemmel in Belgium and died the following day at a nearby Field Ambulance station. He now lies buried in Locker Churchyard seven miles south-west of Ypres. Amongst his possessions returned to his father was a Princess Mary's Gift Box and a cigarette case. The transcription on his grave (see below) translates as 'He who gives quickly gives twice' and is a maxim written by the Roman writer Puplilius Syrus.

Private Percy Ellis is remembered on Ilkley War Memorial, Richmond War Memorial, Bradford Grammar School Roll of Honour and Leeds University Roll of Honour

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