Grimes, P S
PERCIVAL SYDNEY GRIMES
Remembered with honour Vitry-Le-Francois French National Cemetery: Grave 1538.
He enlisted 29 March 1917 at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan: a teamster aged 24, unmarried, 5’4″ tall; his next-of-kin his father of Saskatoon. He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals and was killed in a train accident.
A Court of Enquiry convened to investigate the circumstances of the death of Private GRIMES, who died at Hospital No. 38, Vitry-Le-Francois on the evening of January 28th 1918 from fractured skull and serious head wounds, is of the opinion that the fatal injuries were caused by being accidentally thrown from the open door of a box car by the momentum of the train when rounding a curve, whilst en route from Appilly to Eclaron at about 3.30 o’clock in the afternoon and that no blame can be attached to anyone concerned.
Son of Barbara Elizabeth (nee BROOM) GRIMES of Boxmoor, Herts, and Sydney Thomas GRIMES.
His parents married 1890 in the Camberwell, London, district. Barbara died 1931 in the Hemel Hempstead, Herts, district aged 67; Sydney died 16 February 1934 in Edgware, Middx, aged 67, and was buried 22 February in Harrow Cemetery, Middx.
Percival was born 18 November 1892 in New Cross, London, and attended Watford Grammar School from March 1906 to July 1907. He emigrated 26 May 1911 aboard Canadian Pacific S.S. Champlain from Liverpool to Quebec: a labourer aged 18.
On the 1901 Census, aged 8 he lived in Ealing, Middx, with his parents and four siblings. On the 1911 Census, an outfitter’s assistant aged 18, he lived in Bushey, Herts, with his parents and six siblings.
Service number
2188482Rank
CorporalUnit
76th CompanyRegiment
Place buried
Date of death
28/01/1918Age at death
25Place of death
Memorial(s)
- 1st S.W. Herts Scout Troop [in St Mary's Parish Church Watford] (4)
- Abbot's Langley Herts War Memorial (17)
- Aldbury Herts War Memorial (1)
- Aldenham Herts War Memorial (located in Letchmore Heath Herts) (8)
- All Saints Church Croxley Green Herts (12)
- All Saints Church Harrow Weald Middx (2)
- All Saints Church Hertford (1)
- All Saints Church King's Langley Herts (1)
- All Saints Church Leavesden Herts (31)
- All Saints Church Witham Essex (3)