Percy C. Bolwell WZ/819
| According to his service record, from the time of his enlistment Percy Charles Bolwell gave his date of birth as 28th November 1895, though he was in fact born in 1896. He was the first of four children born to Henry Arthur Bolwell and Annie Evelyn (née Yates): Evelin Sarah (1901), Hilda Myfanwy (1908) and Idris Yates (1909). | ||||||||
|
At the time of his enlistment on 20th April 1915, Percy was employed as a shop assistant and residing at Mountain Ash, Glamorgan. He entered the 5th Battalion at Crystal Palace as an Ordinary Seaman for his initial training. On 18th June he was drafted to the 2nd Reserve Battalion at Blandford and was promoted to Able Seaman the following day. On 1st August he was drafted to Hood and posted to the battalion on 20th August. On 5th September he was admitted to the 16th Stationary Hospital suffering from dysentery. On 22nd September he was admitted to hospital in Malta, and on 17th October he was transferred from hospital to Egypt. On 2nd December he rejoined Hood from Mudros. Following the evacuation of the peninsula, Percy was admitted to the 2nd Field Ambulance on 30th April 1916 suffering from scabies. He rejoined his unit on 10th May. After the Battle of the Ancre he was admitted to the 8th Stationary Hospital at Wimereux on 14th November 1916 with a gunshot wound to his left leg. He rejoined Hood from the Base Depot on 2nd December. In January 1917 he was granted ten days’ home leave. On 3rd July he was appointed Able Seaman Higher Grade (Unpaid), and on 20th November he was promoted to Leading Seaman. On 15th March 1918 Percy was admitted to the 3rd Australian General Hospital at Abbeville, having been severely wounded by a gas shell the previous day. He rejoined his battalion on 19th April and was awarded his 1st Good Conduct Badge. |
 |
|||||||
|
On 22nd August he was admitted to the 2nd Australian General Hospital at Boulogne, having sustained a mild gunshot wound to his neck on 21st August. On 27th August he was transferred to the 12th Convalescence Camp at Aubengue. He was discharged on 10th October to No. 5 Rest Camp at St Martins, rejoining his unit on 16th October. On 15th December Percy was granted home leave, which was extended while he was at home. He was instructed to report to the dispersal station and was demobilised at Oswestry on 14th January 1919. Following demobilisation he married Elizabeth Davies, and they had three known children: Idris (1923), Avril (1928) and Philip (1930). Percy died in 1986. |
||||||||
| ||||||||