The Queens Own Royal West Kent R

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment

Second Lieutenant P J Bolton

Photograph by "Simon Tiron"

Second Lieutenant Percy James BOLTON, 7th Battalion, Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment, died of wounds, 5th November 1918, age 37.

Son of Mr. J. C. and Josephine Bolton, of 45, Adelaide Road, Brockley, London.

Buried at Busigny Communal Cemetery Extension, VIII. A. 11.Nord, France & commemorated at St Cyprian Church & the Private Banks Cricket & Athletic Club in Catford .

Extract from "The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment 1914-1919 by C T Atkinson" - The Last Battle

In the attack of November 4th the battalion had as its first objective the village of Hecq, assigned to C and D companies, after which A and B were to go through to the second objective, a road 500 yards ahead. The attack started in thickish weather at 6.15a.m., C and D advancing close behind the three tanks detailed to assist them. At a sunken road on the outskirts of the village stubborn resistance was encountered and two platoons of each company had to be left to clear up this area while the rest pressed on into the village. Here also there was hard fighting, particularly for D Company on the right; the tanks were put out of action but the crew of one got out and, pushing forward on the left, did effective service with their machine-guns. In the end C and D made good their line and then A and B, coming forward, carried on the advance at a great rate. Resistance was lessening now, many Germans surrendered, many were shot as they endeavoured to get away through the forest, and the objective was reached and consolidated, the 8th R. Berkshires passing through to continue the advance. For the rest of the day companies remained in the positions reached; the work of consolidating was suddenly interrupted by a party of some 30 Germans who emerged from the wood and attacked A Company in rear with machine-guns and trench-mortars. But A proved equal to the occasion, faced about and shot down the two officers who were leading the party; with their fall their followers’ zeal for fighting evaporated, and the rest were easily rounded up, increasing the total of prisoners taken to nearly 200. As against this the battalion had just fifty casualties, including 2nd Lieuts. Pegler, Bolton, and Fuller killed, the last two of whom had only joined in October, while 2nd Lieut. Hewett was wounded. Next day the 7th withdrew to billets in Hecq, moving thence to Le Cateau, where it was still lying when the news of the Armistice reached it.

London Gazette 8th August 1918.

The under mentioned Cadets to be temporary 2nd Lieutenants. 31 July 1918: Percy James Bolton.

This page was last updated on 08-Jan-2018.