Roll of Honour
Captain
George Clark Percy
Military Cross
Student
George Clark Percy was born on the 4th January 1895 at 7 Montague Place, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire. His parents, Robert Bell Percy, a Fish Merchant, and his wife Josephine Percy (née Clark) who had married on the 23rd October 1889 in Annan, Dumfriesshire. The family moved to 2 Gardenside Avenue, Carmyle, Glasgow and therefore George continued to live at home with them while he studied, first at Allan Glen's School and then at the University of Glasgow.
George came to the University in the autumn of 1913 to study English, Mathematics and Natural Philosophy. He passed all his exams and moved on to study Logic & Metaphysics and Moral Philosophy the following year.
In February 1915 he joined The Cameronians as a Captain and was sent to France the following July. He had been wounded in July 1916 but returned to service. He was awarded a Military Cross (MC) for his bravery on 21st June 1917. The London Gazette of 25th August records the events;
"For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. With his platoon he formed part of a working party in front of our line. Although subjected to heavy artillery fire, he showed complete disregard of danger, attending to the wounded and encouraging the men. When finally ordered to withdraw, it was due to his great coolness and good leadership that his platoon got safely back to our lines, and having seen the last man in, he returned and remained with a badly wounded officer under heavy fire until assistance reached him."
Captain George Clark Percy was involved in the Battle of Passchandaele where he died on the 31st July 1917, aged 22.
His memorial is on Panel 22 at the Menin Gate Memorial, Leper, Belgium.
Comments and Citations
University of Glasgow Registry and Roll of Honour Records.
Biography: Service information contributed by Jan Van der Fraenen, The Passchendaele Archives of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele