Percy James Deane Flecknoe
7 January 1888 – 25 November 1917


Percy Flecknoe was born on 7 January 1888 and lived with his parents, James and Mary Annie Bell Flecknoe, (née Horter) of Orton Waterville - they kept a butcher's shop at 10 Church Street, Peterborough. Percy had a sister, Dorothy, who by 1918 was married and living in London. Young Percy joined The King’s School in 1897, aged 9. This was a new School, only opened some 12 years before, having moved in 1885 from the Cathedral Precincts. We can only imagine what life was like at the School at that time.

In 1902, for reasons unknown, Percy left to join 'English Brothers', the Peterborough timber merchants. We assume this was for an apprenticeship, as he was to stay with the firm for 8 years.

For comradeship, adventure or the uniform, we'll never know, in 1903 he joined the Northants Rifle Volunteers aged just 15, and remained with the Regiment until his discharge in 1906. Clearly he then missed the Regiment, for in 1908 he joined the Royal Field Artillery Northants Territorial Force as a Gunner. In 1910 he resigned from English Brothers and the Royal Field Artillery, and embarked for South Africa to join his uncle, William Edward Horter of Leader Printing Works, Harrison St, Johannesburg. Here he became a traveller. Picture Percy on the Veldt with his suitcase full of samples!

Soldiering was in his blood, for in August 1914 we find Trooper Flecknoe enlisted in the 1st Imperial Light Horse, a South African Cavalry regiment, where he served throughout the German South West African Campaign under General Louis Botha, until his discharge on 10th August 1915.

The biggest battles the world had ever seen were taking place in France and Belgium. Percy returned to England with all dispatch and his application for a commission in the British Army was approved on 20th December 1915 - he was commissioned into the Royal Field Artillery as a 1st Lieutenant - no doubt as a result of his previous service.

Percy was badly wounded in the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) in November 1917, was taken back behind the lines but died of his wounds on 25 November at No.3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station outside Poperinge, Belgium, where he lies buried today in Nine Elms British Military Cemetery.

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