Percival (Percy) Albert Galloway was born at Lydd, Kent in 1885 (his birth registered at Romney
Marsh district in the March quarter of that year). He appears on the 1891 census
of England and Wales as a six year old living in Lydd with his family. The household comprised:
Albert Galloway (head, married, aged 39, a fisherman), his wife Agnes Galloway (nee Smith), aged 29, and their four children:
Agnes E Galloway (aged eight), Percival, Julia Maude K Galloway (aged three) and William Frederick Galloway (aged one). Albert and the four children were all natives of Lydd but the children’s mother
was born in Ipswich, Suffolk.
By the time the 1901 census was taken the family had moved to Hastings (at some time between March 1895 and June 1897) and was living at 26
Tackleway. Albert was now working as a carpenter while his daughter Agnes was
working as a parlour maid. Percy is noted as a 16 year old stable boy and there
had also been five additions to the family: Ernest Martin Galloway (aged nine), Cecil Hinds A Galloway (aged seven), Clarissa
Louise Galloway (aged five), Ida Adelia P Galloway (aged three) and Reginald Galloway (aged one). William had died in infancy, his death registered at Romney Marsh district in 1894. I can find no record of Julia.
Percy attested with the Royal Field Artillery at Bordon, Hampshire on 5th August 1915. He
gave his address as 1 Chalton Street, Steyning, Sussex, his age as 30 years and four months (although his Protection Certificate
and Certificate of Identity state 1884 as the year of his birth) and his trade or calling as butcher. He had married Elizabeth Coley at Hastings on 7th March 1913 and the couple already had two children: Lily Elsie (born at Horsham the same
month) and Percival George Owen born at Steyning the previous October. Percy
was tall – five feet, eleven and a half inches - and had no distinguishing marks other than vaccination scars from infancy. He was given army number 90415, the rank
of gunner and posted to the 23rd Divisional Artillery Column (DAC). His surviving
papers record that he was at home until 28th August 1915 and then in France between 29th August 1915 and 7th November 1917.
On 29th September 1915 he was appointed acting bombardier and promoted to full bombardier on 11th November.
On 7th February he was promoted corporal. On 10th June 1916 he was posted to No 1 section of the
Divisional Artillery Column and on 25th January 1917 appointed acting sergeant. He was
confirmed as full sergeant on 10th March 1917.
On 5th May 1917 he was appointed section rough rider and later that year (on 8th November) moved to Italy where he would remain until 27th
January 1919. On 10th February his record notes that he ceased to draw additional pay as section
rough rider on appointment to acting battery sergeant major. The following day
the appointment was confirmed and he assumed duties in his new role.
By 28th May however, he had reverted to the rank of sergeant on the posting of Battery Sergeant Major Parker. He was granted leave between 7th and 21st June and on 13th June a second son, Cecil Alfred Galloway,
was born at Chailey. He rejoined his unit in Italy on the 21st June and remained in Italy until 5th January 1919 when he was again granted two weeks’
home leave. He remained in England after his period of leave was up and
was discharged on 27th March 1919.
On 21st August 1920 he received the British War Medal at his home address of Appletree Cottage, North Common, Chailey. A year later, in September 1921, he received his Victory Medal at his new address: Elm Cottage, Morris Road, Lewes.
In Your Country Needs You, Martin Middlebrook has this to say about the 23rd
Division:
Formed in the Aldershot area from battalions from
Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire
and the Sherwood Foresters (the Notts and Derby Regiment in 1914). This would have been the 23rd (Northern) Division if the regional system had continued
and it is probable that it had been originally organised with that in mind…
“The division crossed to France
in August 1915. It went into action no less than five times in the Battle
of the Somme in 1916. It also fought
at Messines and in Third Ypres in 1917 but in November 1917 was transferred
to the Italian Front where it served until the Armistice.
Percival Albert Galloway died in about 1961.
To view Percy Galloway's service record on-line via the Ancestry website,
enter his name (Percival, rather than Percy) in the fields below:
Sources and Acknowledgements
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- England and Wales, Civil Registration Index:
1837-1983
- Percival Galloway’s service record exists
as a burnt document at The National Archives in Kew, London, ref: WO 363/G338
- Your Country Needs You by Martin Middlebrook, Pen
and Sword Books, 2000
- My grateful thanks to those of Percival Galloway's
relatives who have contacted me, in particular, Lynda Galloway, Maria Crees and Lesley Busby who sent me the photograph
reproduced on this page.
