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16179 9th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Percival Hollingsworth (known as Percy) was born in Great Cornard in 1889, one of eleven surviving children of William Charles and Laura Hollingsworth. His father was a railway carpenter and the family lived at Ormond Terrace, Sudbury Road, Great Cornard.
By 1901 his widowed mother, who was employed as a machinist/tailoress had moved to 4 Garden Row, Sudbury. Percy was a printer compositor like his two older brothers and he worked at one time for the Suffolk and Essex Free Press.
He enlisted in Sudbury and served as an orderly for Captain S W Church who described him as ‘brave and cheery’. Percy embarked with his battalion and landed in Boulogne at the end of August 1915. He served alongside other Sudbury men including Robert Nunn and Alfred Stearns. As part of 71st Brigade, 24th Division they were located between Etaples and St. Pol before being sent a few days later across France as the reserve for the Battle of Loos (25 September–15 October). They saw action on 26 September but suffered heavy losses. In October 1915 the Brigade was transferred to the 6th Division.
Percy was killed by a shell whilst waiting outside a dugout that Captain Church was visiting on 25 August 1916. He lies buried in Auchonvillers Military Cemetery, Somme, France. He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in April 2007.
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