7th (Service) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment).
Born; Friday 4th August 1893. Died; Saturday 25 November 1916. Aged 23.
Son of Stephen Amos and Sarah Ann Amos (née Newland) of The Ash Tree, White Hill, Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent.
Buried St. Gregory & St. Martin Churchyard, Wye, Ashford, Kent. Grave Ref: On left hand side of path from the main gate.
Commemorated on the Boughton Aluph, Ashford, Kent civic war memorial, and in The Buffs Book of Life in the Warriors Chapel at Canterbury Cathedral.
Percy was born at “Burntdown House,” Burntdown Corner, Bonnington, Kent on Friday 4 August 1893, at which time Percy’s father Stephen who was a native of the nearby village of Lympne near Hythe, was employed as a Farm Labourer, his mother, Sarah, being a native of Lambourne, Berkshire. Percy was baptised at the parish church of St. Rumwold, Bonnington on Tuesday 19 September 1893.
Percy enlisted in army with his brother Stephen John (Jack) Amos, ‘For the Duration of the War’ with the Colours in the Army Reserve’ at the Drill Hall, Newtown Road, Ashford, Kent on Monday 7 September 1914. Both were assigned to serve in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment). Percy served on the Western Front with the British Expeditionary Force, initially as a Private in The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) from Wednesday 28 July 1915.
Percy suffered serious gunshot wounds whilst serving in France, which resulted in gangrene and blood poisoning. He was evacuated back to England and received treatment at the 1,200 bed Horton War Hospital, Bradford, Yorkshire, where he succumbed to his wounds and died on Saturday 25 November 1916. Initially was planned that Percy would be buried at Bradford (Bowling) Cemetery. However, with commendable speed, Percy’s father Stephen Amos contacted the hospital requesting that his son’s body be returned home for burial, offering to pay all costs involved.
It was learned via the Amos family that the reason why Percy was not buried in the parish of Boughton Aluph where the family resided, was that at the time of Percy’s death no burials were taking place there. For this reason, he was laid to rest with full military honours, as befitted his rank, at nearby Wye.
Percy does not have a regulation pattern Imperial/Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone marking his grave. Stephen and Sarah Amos paid twenty pounds to Russell’s, Monumental Masons of Ashford, Kent for a private headstone to be made and erected. The order placed with Russell’s was for the headstone to be in the form of a cross on raised plinths and kerbed. It has always been pleasing to see for many years, that following the Remembrance Sunday Service’s every November, Percy’s grave, as with all the other servicemen who are at rest at Wye, it is always marked with a small wooden cross by the local branch of the Royal British Legion.
It was also learned via the Amos family, that Percy’s mother had always regretted that he was not commemorated on the Great War plaque in the parish church of St. Rumwold, Bonnington.
Percy’s funeral procession with personnel of 2/4th (Territorial Force) Battalion, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) from Ashford slow marching with black draped drums and reversed arms crossing the river Stour at Wye.
The photograph of Percy’s grave shown above was taken a short time after it was erected.