In Memory of
PERCY JOHN BEDWELL
Born: 1888 Steventon, Berkshire.
Son of Annie Bedwell of Ivy Cottage, Mill Street, Steventon.
Pre-war occupation: Postman
79459 A/Bombardier Percy John Bedwell
12th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery
Died: 14th July 1917 aged 29
Killed in Action – Vlamertinghe, West Flanders
REMEMBERED WITH HONOUR
Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery
Ypres (Ieper), Arrondissement Ieper, West Flanders
(West-Vlaanderen), Belgium. Plot I.E.2
Postman Percy John Bedwell attested in Abingdon on 9 December 1915. He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery, Heavy Artillery Depot on 1 May 1916 and was posted to France. On 19 July 1916 he was appointed acting Bombardier, whilst serving with 192 Heavy Battery. He was moved to the western front as part of the British Expeditionary Force with 12 Heavy Battery on 8 July 1917. 12 HB came under the command of the 13th Heavy Artillery Group and would likely have been involved in the battle of Messines in the area south of the Belgian city of Ypres. After the gains at Messines by the allied 2nd Army, plans were made for a larger offensive to take control of the ridges south and east of Ypres and push on to Passchendaele. 2nd Army were to join forces with the 5th Army for what was to become The Third Battle of Ypres, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele. It was during preliminary bombardments for this offensive, on 14 July 1917 whilst positioned at Vlamertinghe, West Flanders, that Acting Bombardier Percy John Bedwell was killed in action. He was buried at the Belgian Battery Corner Cemetery.
The Battery Corner cemetery occupies a site at a road junction where three batteries of Belgian artillery were positioned in 1915. The cemetery was begun by the 8th Division in June 1917 after the Battle of Messines (although one grave predates this) and it was used until October 1918, largely for burials from a dressing station in a cottage near by. Almost half of the graves are of casualties who belonged, or were attached, to artillery units.
Percy John was the only son of Annie Bedwell, of Ivy Cottage, Mill Street, Steventon, Berks. His father is unknown.
Annie’s parents (William & Jemima) were born in Steventon.
William (born 1800), was a Shepherd and is recorded as living in Mill Street in 1851.
Prior to the war ‘John’ Bedwell (as he was known to his family) was living with his mother and two uncles (George & Alfred Bedwell) in Mill Street.
The exact location of Ivy Cottage is unknown.
