Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Booklanders, and was seriously wounded in the head, in action in Flanders, 18 May, 1915. He was brought home to Netley Hospital, and seemed at first to be making satisfactory progress towards recovery, but some weeks later it was necessary to perform an operation; blood poisoning afterwards supervened and he died there on Monday 19 July; _unm._ He was buried in the Hospital Cemetery. [Illustration: =Cecil de Burgh Persse.=] =PERSSÉ, RODOLPH ALGERNON=, 2nd Lieut., Reserve Battn. The Rifle Brigade, attd. 2nd Battn. King's Royal Rifle Corps, only _s._ of the late Robert Algernon Perssé, of Creg Clare, co. Galway, J.P., by his wife, the Hon. Eleanor Laura Jane, née Gough (Creg Clare, Ardrahan, co. Galway), only surv. dau. of George Stephens, 2nd Viscount Gough; and grandson of the late Dudley Perssé, of Roxborough, co. Galway. D.L.; _b._ Roxborough, aforesaid, 12 May, 1892; educ. Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he had just completed his second year when war broke out; obtained a commission in the Rifle Brigade, 26 Aug. 1914, joining the Reserve Battn. at Sheerness; went to France, 16 Oct.; was there attd. to the 2nd Battn. King's Royal Rifle Corps, and was killed in action at Cuinchy, 1 Jan. following, during a night attack; _unm._ Buried there. He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915. His commanding officer wrote: "He had taken his platoon to attack a position early on the morning of 1 Jan., and after the position was taken it was found to be untenable, and the whole force was ordered back to their trenches. It was here that poor Perssé was killed. He was an exceptionally gallant boy, and we shall miss him very much. I had already submitted his name for his gallant behaviour near Ypres." A brother officer also wrote: "What a splendid, brave, cool officer he was, he never flinched or wavered in his most gallant spirit, and his absolute fearlessness and pluck were grand, and were of the greatest value to his men. He will, indeed, be sadly missed, for he made himself so popular with all ranks"; and another: "He was without exception the bravest officer I have ever seen, and the best. His men would do anything for him. This is not only my own opinion, for I know that it was shared by every officer in the mess." He was a fine all-round athlete and a first-rate shot. He played in the Eton eleven in July, 1911. At Oxford he did well in the Freshmen's sports of 1913; won the Magdalen Grind; rode in the Intervarsity Point-to-Point, and was whip to the Magdalen Beagles. The President of Magdalen wrote of him: "He is indeed a loss to us here, young and old. Among the first and bravest, he has given his all, even himself. His bright, vivid, daring, high-spirited chivalrous personality had endeared him to us all." [Illustration: =Rodolph Algernon Perssé.=] =PERYER, ALBERT EDWARD=, Stoker, Petty Officer, 306704, H.M.S. Pathfinder; lost when that ship was sunk by a mine, about 20 miles off the East Coast, 5 Sept. 1914. =PESKETT, CHARLES EDWARD=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 4392, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =PETER, SAMUEL VICTOR=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 1879), 201829, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =PETO, CLEMENT HENRY=, Capt., 10th (Prince of Wales's Own Royal) Hussars, 4th and yst. _s._ of William Herbert Peto, of Dunkinty, Elgin, by his wife, Kate, dau. of Sir Robert Palmer Harding, and grandson of the late Sir Samuel Morton Peto, 1st Bart.; _b._ London, 8 July, 1884; educ. Harrow and Sandhurst; received his commission in the 10th Hussars, 3 Feb. 1904. and was promoted Lieut. 22 Oct. 1905, and Capt. 17 Sept. 1910, passing the same year the Musketry Course at Changli Sali, also in Telephony and Hindustani, L.S. Pt. II. He served with his regt. in France and Flanders, and was killed in action while in command of C Squadron at the First Battle of Ypres, 17 Nov. 1914. The Germans had made a strong attack and he had allowed them to come within five yards of his trench, before giving the order to fire. He then led his Squadron in pursuit of the retreating enemy and was shot through the head by a sniper. The Colonel of his regt. wrote: "There was no better soldier in the Army or a better fellow than your son. Personally I was very fond of him and so was everyone in the regiment, whether officers or men. All the time he was under me I have never known him cavel, or grumble, at any order, however unpleasant." The officer commanding the regt. on the 17 Nov. wrote that he met his death commanding his own Squadron which he had trained so well in South Africa, in repelling a fierce attack of the Germans which his Squadron repulsed with heavy loss. Private Sparks, 14th Hussars, wrote to the "Kent Messenger," 26 Dec. 1914. "We came under a very heavy shell and rifle fire from a very short distance in front. Lord Alastair Innes Ker carried me a long way and must have been almost exhausted when I saw two officers jump out of the trench and run towards us. They dragged me to the trench by the arms. Private Saintsbury, 13th Hussars, caught me as they pushed me into the trench. One of them bound me up as well as he was able in the dark and gave me a drink from his flask. The officers were two brothers, Capt. C. and Lieut. K. Peto, 10th Hussars. Capt. C. Peto, I am sorry to say, has since been killed in the great attack on Ypres. He was a very brave officer. "He was mentioned in F.M. Sir John (now Lord) French's Despatch of 14 Jan. 1915 [London Gazette, 17 Feb. 1915], for gallant and distinguished service in the field. Capt. Peto was a great hunter and travelled from India through Kashmir and Turkestan to Siberia, accompanied only by natives, and shot splendid specimens of ovis ammion, ovis poli (51½ inches), markhor, ibex, barasingh, etc. He also shot lions in Northern Rhodesia; and rode many winners in regimental races at Rawal Pindi and Mhow (Winning Post, 12 Dec. 1914)." He was _unm._, and was buried in Ypres Cemetery. [Illustration: =Clement Henry Peto.=] =PETTY, FRANK=, Gunner, R.M.A. (R.F.R., B. 1171), H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =PETTY, JAMES RICHARD=, Private, No. 3199, 2/6th Battn. East Surrey Regt. (T.F.), only _s._ of Richard Petty, of 4, Cleveland Road, New Malden, by his wife, Helen; _b._ New Malden, co. Surrey, 12 June, 1880; educ. Elm Road Boys School there; was a coal porter; joined the East Surrey Territorials, 26 April, 1915; and died in the Military Hospital, Kingston-on-Thames, 31 March, 1916, from pleurisy contracted while on active service. He _m._ at New Malden Church, 3 April, 1904, Charlotte (87, Northcote Road, New Malden, dau. of William Lambden, Henley-on-Thames, and had three children; Robert James, _b._ 15 Nov. 1909; Herbert John, _b._ 25 Nov. 1912; and Dorothy May, _b._ 20 July, 1906. =PHELAN, JOHN HENRY=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 5716), S.S. 1000695, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost i |