WW1 Casualty: Officer's Steward 1st Class Percy Frederick Wallis - Officer's Steward 1st Class Percy Frederick Wallis
| Unit/Regiment |
HMS Vivid (Shore Establishment), Royal Navy |
| Date of Death |
25/03/1919 |
Age at Death |
31 |
Burial/Memorial
& Reference |
Prescot Churchyard
Special Memorial - see notes |
| Census Details |
The 1911 Census lists Percy as 'Captain's Cook', aged 24, aboard HMS Surprise, a Despatch Vessel based in Portland Harbour |
| Birth/Marriage/Death Registrations |
Birth registered Q4/1887, St Germans, Cornwall, 5c, 38
Death registered Q1/1919, Prescot, 8b, 1456 |
| SDGW - Where Born |
Saltash, Cornwall |
| Notes |
Special Memorial – the stone is not on his actual grave but rather stands at the head of the churchyard and is inscribed "Buried Elsewhere In This Churchyard". |
| Research Ref. No. |
P290 |
Service DetailsI am indebted to Robert Lund for providing me with family information and certificates relating to Percy's Birth, Marriage and Death.
Percy Wallis was born on 3rd November 1887 in Wearde Quay, Saltash, Cornwall. He was the son of William and Eliza Mary Wallis. On his birth certificate, shown below, his father was recorded as a Cook aboard HMS Defiance
Strangely, when he joined the navy, he gave his date of birth as 4th November 1886!
HMS 'Vivid', which is the assignation on hos CWGC records, was the name given to the shore base of the Royal Navy in Plymouth. The barracks here could accommodate some 500 men whilst they underwent training through to their allocation to ships for service, and often whilst they were in transfer. This was the first permanent Royal Navy barracks; before 'Vivid' opened in 1889, men in between voyages were often accommodated on the hulks of 'out of service' ships which were moored in the nearby rivers.
The barracks are now known as HMS Devonport.
Percy Wallis joined the Royal Navy in April 1903 and served until February 1919 when he was diagnosed as suffering from Tuberculoisis and was discharged to hospital
On 10th January 1914 in Portsmouth, he married Elizabeth Margaret Jones in Southsea. At this time, he recorded is address as "HMS Sappho" and his occupation as "Ship's Steward"
Extracts from Percy's Service Record with the Royal Navy
Percy's burial record (see below), shows that he died at Eccleston Sanitorium. It would appear that his family requested that he be buried close to where he died and so he now rests in St Mary's. His widow, Elizabeth, is recorded as living in Old Lane, Eccleston.
Percy's death certificate
Percy Wallis's Special Memorial headstone in Prescot Churchyard. Note the inscription across the top of the stone. This stone was only erected in 1986, presumably because the location of the original burial could not be found
The burial register entry for Percy Frederick Wallis
In August 2014, the Friends of Prescot Cemetery and Churchyard unearthed Percy's original grave, which had been overgrown by shrubbery and trees. As part of their efforts they have thoroughly cleared the area around the grave, cleaning it as much as possible.
The pictures below, kindly provided by the Friends, show the newly cleared grave. Full details of this discovery have been provided to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and this page will be updated once we hear from them as to how they will commemorate Percy going forward.
The picture above shows Percy's grave back against the wall, with the CWGC Headstone of John Grogan in the foreground
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