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Rifleman Percy Harold Smith
Description
TitleRifleman Percy Harold SmithSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionPercy was born at Sydenham, Christchurch on 27 March 1882, son of John Wesley and Mary Anne Smith. It seems that his parents had died before he enlisted for he named his sister Mrs Florence Terris as next of kin and left her all his possessions in his will. Before enlisting he was living in Sheffield and working as a labourer for Mr Powell at Waddington. He was 5ft 10in tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair.
Percy enlisted at Christchurch on the 9th February 1917 and was assigned to C Company, 25th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Regiment. He embarked from Wellington on board the Turakina on 26th April arriving in Devonport and Sling camp on 20th July 1917. Sadly, it was only three weeks later on 13th August that he was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital in a comatose condition. He was reported dangerously ill and died of Status Epilepticus the next day, aged 35. This is when an epileptic seizure lasts more than five minutes or there is more than one seizure within a five minute period without the person returning to normal between them. He had had rheumatic fever 9 years previous but answered not to the quest as to whether he had had fits. He was buried in the Tidworth Military Cemetery, England. In New Zealand Percy is remembered on the Malvern County and Sheffield War Memorials.
Tidworth Military Cemetery, which contains burials of both wars, was directly connected with training grounds on, or near, Salisbury Plain. During the First World War, the cemetery was used for burials from Tidworth and Fargo Military Hospitals and the 417 graves, many of them of Australian or New Zealand servicemen, are scattered throughout the cemetery. There are 106 Second World War graves in the cemetery, two substantial groups of which can be found in sections F and D. The rest are scattered. The cemetery also contains 40 war graves of other nationalities, many of them Polish.First NamePercy HaroldLast NameSmithFamilySingleSon of John Wesley and Mary Anne SmithDate of Birth27 March 1882Place of BirthSydenhamDate of Death14 August 1917Place of DeathEnglandCause of DeathDied of SicknessAge at Death35
Percy enlisted at Christchurch on the 9th February 1917 and was assigned to C Company, 25th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Regiment. He embarked from Wellington on board the Turakina on 26th April arriving in Devonport and Sling camp on 20th July 1917. Sadly, it was only three weeks later on 13th August that he was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital in a comatose condition. He was reported dangerously ill and died of Status Epilepticus the next day, aged 35. This is when an epileptic seizure lasts more than five minutes or there is more than one seizure within a five minute period without the person returning to normal between them. He had had rheumatic fever 9 years previous but answered not to the quest as to whether he had had fits. He was buried in the Tidworth Military Cemetery, England. In New Zealand Percy is remembered on the Malvern County and Sheffield War Memorials.
Tidworth Military Cemetery, which contains burials of both wars, was directly connected with training grounds on, or near, Salisbury Plain. During the First World War, the cemetery was used for burials from Tidworth and Fargo Military Hospitals and the 417 graves, many of them of Australian or New Zealand servicemen, are scattered throughout the cemetery. There are 106 Second World War graves in the cemetery, two substantial groups of which can be found in sections F and D. The rest are scattered. The cemetery also contains 40 war graves of other nationalities, many of them Polish.First NamePercy HaroldLast NameSmithFamilySingleSon of John Wesley and Mary Anne SmithDate of Birth27 March 1882Place of BirthSydenhamDate of Death14 August 1917Place of DeathEnglandCause of DeathDied of SicknessAge at Death35
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialSheffield War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryTidworth Military CemeteryMalvern County War MemorialSheffield War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingLabourer Regiment or ServiceCanterbury Infantry Regiment Enlistment Details9th February 1917Service Number47688Embarkation26th April 1917Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportTurakinaReinforcement25th ReinforcementsCountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton Taken FromPhoto taken from Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph. Please refer to this site for the photo’s copyright license
Rifleman Percy Harold Smith. Selwyn Stories, accessed 06/06/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/318