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In memoriam

Lance Corporal Percy Reid

 

Percy Reid of the Inns, Newtownbreda, Belfast, enlisted with the North Irish Horse on 4 January 1916 (Service No.2056).  He was 18 years old at the time and worked as a linen trade apprentice. He lived with his next of kin, his aunt Harriet Mercer.

On 26 November 1916 he was sent to France as a reinforcement for the Regiment.

On 20 September he was transferred to the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers (No.41548), when the 2nd Regiment was dismounted and absorbed into that infantry battalion. While serving with the Fusiliers he received a mild shrapnel wound in March 1918, probably during the German Kaiserschlacht offensive, and was wounded again on 10 August that year.

After the Armistice he elected to remain in the service and on 22 February 1919 was posted to the 5th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment (No.41357), part of the Rhine Army. On 24 July 1919 he transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps as a Driver (No.T/453128) and was soon after promoted to Lance Corporal.

Reid returned home on 4 September 1919 and was discharged to Z Class Army Reserve a month later. He was then suffering from pulmonory tuberculosis, which was attributed to his Army service.

He died on 24 May 1921. His place of burial is at present unknown.

Lance Corporal Reid was not commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. However as he appears to qualify, his details have been submitted for consideration, via the In From the Cold project.