60805: Percy Watson

Attached are photographs of Corporal Percy Watson, who originally enlisted with the 7th Battlion, Mancheser Regiment and then was merged into the East Lancashire Regiment towards the end of the war. The 7th Manchester Regiment was a Terattorial Regiment and as Percy was a butcher by trade, it is believed that he was the Butcher to the regiment.

Percy was born on the 27th August 1888 in Burnley to Alfred Watson and Ellen Walters. He married Bertha Lakin on the 16th November 1908 in Chorlton cum Hardy, Manchester. They had two children, Stanley, born in 1909 and Marjorie born in 1912. She is still alive but has limited memories of her father as she was six at the time of his death.

Attached are letters to his wife Bertha, including one written the day he was killed.

There is a detailed letter stating how Percy was killed, his death certificate, letters from the Commonwealth War Graves on both his burial and re burial and a very heartfelt letter written in August 1918 where he is clearly very certain that he will die in the trenches.

There are also postcards from Percy's children and his wife for his birthday. These have shrapnel holes through them as he had them on his person when he was killed. Pictures are also attached of Percy and his family