LAST, Percy


No.235077, Rifleman, Percy LAST
Aged 36


5th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment)
formerly 19751, Suffolk Regiment
Died of his Wounds on Monday, 22nd April 1918


Born in 1881 (4th qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:610) son of William Arthur and Eliza LAST(née BANTICK)

1891 census...Aged 9, he was at 24 Churchn Walk, Bury St.Edmunds with his father William LAST [37] coach painter born Whepstead; his mother Elizabeth [37] born Ixworth; brothers George [17] (engineering apprentice) born Cambridge; Frank [10], William [6] and Conrad [1]; sister Ethel [12]. All the sibings after George were born in Bury St.Edmunds. Also there was Harriet BANTICK [50] born Ixworth.
His father died in 1898.

1901 census...Aged 19, a coach painter, he was at 31 Church Row with his widowed mother; sister Ethel; brothers William (coach painter) and Conrad.

He married Edith Esther CHAPMAN [3-6-1879] in Bury St.Edmunds in 1909.

1911 census...Aged 29, a coach painter, he was at 21 Springfield Road, Bury St.Edmunds with his wife Edith Esther [31] born Great Yarmouth and their son Cyril Gordon Winston, born on 31st December 1910


He enlisted in Bury St Edmunds. Dying of wounds and buried seemingly by the Germans, there is no way of being sure now when and where he was wounded. There is a confusion in that CWGC have date of death as 9th April, the date his widow says he was reported missing, whereas "Soldier Died" has him killed in Action on 22nd April. His Soldiers Personal effects entry says died of wounds on 22nd April. The most likely scenario is being wounded on 9th and found by the Germans and dying with them on 22nd., the concentration card has him dying 22nd April

On the 9th April the Battalion were near Festubert..the war diary has
9/4/18..At 4:10 am enemy bombarded our line heavily with gas and HE shells. Morning very foggy The enemy attacked at about 7:30 om. Two of the companies are missing and the foremost platoons of A Coy in CALLIQUX locality. The enemy captured the OB Line bur our posts at FESTUBERT EAST and those in the VILLAGE LINE remained intact,


His widow enquired of the International Red Cross in August 1918 as to whether Percy was taken by the Germans. The records show no response, but Percy was initially buried in the German Extension of Salome Communal Cemetery. He was exhumed and re-buried in Cabaret Rouge in 19123




Percy Last is buried in Cabaret Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France 1:D:2

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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