COMMEMORATED IN PERPETUITY BY THE

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Percy Ellaway attested to the Royal Hampshire, 1st/8th (Isle of Wight Rifles, ‘Princess Beatrice’s’) Battalion Territorial Force.

4th August 1914, the Hampshire's were stationed at Newport and then moved to Isle of Wight to join the 163rd Brigade of the 54th (East Anglian) Division and moved to Bury St. Edmunds and then Watford.

9/10th August 1915 - Landed at Suvla Bay and engaged in various actions. The eight month campaign in Gallipoli was fought by Commonwealth and French forces in an attempt to force Turkey out of the war, to relieve the deadlock of the Western Front in France and Belgium, and to open a supply route to Russia through the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. On 16th October 1915 Sergeant Ellaway died of wounds received in action at Gallipoli.

On 3rd December 1915, the 'Rifles' were evacuated from Gallipoli to Egypt due to heavy losses from combat, disease and severe weather.

31st October 1918 - Ended the war in Palestine, near Beirut.

Early in August 1915, the Embarkation Pier area was occupied by the headquarters of two divisions, and later by the 16th (British) Casualty Clearing Station. Apart from five original burials, the cemetery is made up of burials brought in after the Armistice from the cemeteries known as Chailak Dere Nos 1 and 2, Mulberry Tree, and Apex, and from isolated graves.

There are now 944 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated in the cemetery. There are special memorials to 262 casualties known or believed to be buried among them but 662 of the burials are unidentified.

Joseph Ellaway, Percy’s Father was born in Steventon in 1856. He was Corn & Coal Manager for Mr Langford, the very successful Corn Merchant that built Timsbury House, for himself, and Timsbury Terrace for his staff to live in. Percy was born at No. 1 Timsbury Terrace, the eldest son and second eldest of 8 children born to Joseph and Rosina. 

Ellaway Road in Steventon is named after this soldier's family. Please click here for further information.