Percy Northrop 1897 - 1916

Percy was born at Harston on 26 September 1897, the second son of Arthur & Elizabeth of High Street. He was a farm labourer,

He enlisted at Cambridge in early September 1914 with the Suffolk Regiment, B Company, service no. 13577. He was killed on 1^st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

His battalion were involved in an attack on the village of La Boisselle, a village of huge strategic importance.The Germans held the best positions and as Allied troops advanced , the German machine gunners took up their positions in their trenches and redoubts and waited. Once the Allies were far enough down the hillside to prevent a retreat, the guns opened fire. The machine guns ran along the lines and the advancing soldiers fell row by row. Many local agricultural workers described it as like corn being cut down by the scythe.

This day’s action resulted in over 6,380 men either killed or wounded, of which 2,267 were dead and 1,927, are unknown soldiers. Percy was one of those.

He is commemorated on the Thieval  Memorial, Somme, France. Pier & face 1C & 2A.