yeovil at War
John Percy Dargue
Died in Colchester Military Hospital, aged 18
John Percy
Dargue, known as
Percy, was born
in Yeovil in the
autumn of 1897,
the son of
solicitor's
clerk William
Dawson Dargue
(1868-1941)
originally from
Westmorland, and
Lilian née
Dowding (b1873,
Wincanton,
Somerset).
William and
Lilian had
married in
Weymouth,
Dorset, a couple
of months before
Percy was born.
The family did not stay long in Yeovil for on 2 January 1898 Percy was baptised at Appleby, Westmorland (William's home village). Nevertheless, since he was born in Yeovil, I have created this page for him.
By 1900 the family were in Southampton, Hampshire, where a daughter Maud was born but by the time of the 1901 census they were living at 42 Devonshire Place, Brighton, Sussex. William and Lilian had two further children while living in Brighton; Marjorie (b1904) and Royston (b1907).
By 1911 the family had moved yet again and in the 1911 census Lilian and the children were listed at Eden Cottage, Sands Appleby, Westmorland (William was not present on census night).
It is assumed that Percy enlisted when he turned 18 in 1915, enlisting at Appleby and joining the 2/8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers. His Service Number was 4771. The 2/8th Battalion had been formed in September 1914 as a home service (second line) unit. In May 1915 it became part of 125th Brigade, 42nd (East Lancashire) Division. At the end of December 1915 the Division landed at Mudros, Greece, and then proceeded to Egypt.
Whether or not Percy had finished his training and went to Egypt is not known. All that is known is that by May 1916 he was in Colchester Military Hospital, where he died on 29 May 1916. He was aged just 18.
Percy was interred at Appleby Cemetery, Westmorland, Grave B.B.44, and his name is recorded on the Appleby St Lawrence memorial. His name was added to the War Memorial in the Borough in 2018.
gallery
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission certificate in memory of Percy Dargue.
Percy Dargue's Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone.
