95th Battalion, Training Reserve
Percy Graham Hedges was born in 1899 at Upper Wick, Gloucestershire: he was one of twin sons of Ernest Edwin and E Maud Hedges of Woodfield, Dursley, Glos.
He attested for service on 20 January 1917 at Stroud and was placed on the Army Reserve. At that time he was employed as a farmhand and lived at Upper Wick, Dursley: he was aged 17 and unmarried. His height on attestation was 5ft 5½ inches – an indication as to how standards had been lowered, as the demand for manpower increased.
Mobilisation came on 2 April 1917 and his posting was to 95 Training Reserve Battalion, based at Tidworth, on 8 April 1917. This Reserve Battalion had, prior to 1 September 1916, been 11th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and was based at Chisledon, Wiltshire.
He was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital on 21 April 1917 at 3.45pm, ‘in a very collapsed condition’. He died at 8.35pm that day of cerebro-spinal fever, most likely caused by meningococcal infection; he was 18 years old. His Army career lasted 19 days.
Private Percy Graham Hedges is buried in the family grave in Berkeley Cemetery; the grave is marked with a white cross with the inscription: Until the day break.
Researched by Graham Adams 21 October 2011