Percy was born at 40 Wadcroft, Kettering on February 5th 1892. He was the son of George Watson, a Hawker from Kettering and his wife Harriet Elizabeth Watson (nee Palmer) who came from Geddington.

George was previously married to Mary Watson (nee Sharp) but she died in 1884. They had 5 known children before he married Harriet in 1887. They had 2 further children, Hilda Grace in 1890 and Percy in 1892. George died in 1894 and Harriet in 1897.

Orphaned at such an early age Percy was sent to live at the Cottage Homes in High Street, Burton Latimer. In the 1901 Census he was boarded out at Scott’s Charity Cottages with George Dicks, 60, a General Labourer and his wife Eliza, 64. Percy was 9.

By 1911 he was living and working in Raunds. He was boarding with William Asbery, 71, a Cabinet Maker and his wife Hannah, 70. Also at home was a son Harry and Percy, 19, who were both in the Cabinet Making business.

Percy enlisted in the Army in Ipswich on February 24th 1915 as Private No. 110 with the Royal Army Medical Corps, 54th (1st/1st East Anglian) Casualty Clearing Station. On July 28th 1915 he embarked on the Royal Edward at Avonmouth.

The majority of the 1,367 officers and men were reinforcements for the British 29th Infantry Division, with members of the R.A.M.C. All were destined for Gallipoli. Royal Edward was reported off the Lizard on the evening of the 28th, and arrived at Alexandria on August 10th, a day after sister ship, Royal George, had sailed from Devonport. Royal Edward sailed for Moudros on the island of Lemnos, a staging point for the Dardanelles.

On the morning of August 13th, Royal Edward passed the British Hospital ship Soudan, heading in the opposite direction. The German submarine UB-14 was off the island of Kandeloussa and saw both ships. The Soudan was allowed to pass unmolested and attention was focussed on the unescorted Royal Edward.

One of the submarine’s torpedoes was launched from about a mile away and hit the Royal Edward in the stern. She sank within 6 minutes but managed to get an S.O.S. off before losing power. The Soudan arrived on the scene after making a U-turn and rescued 440 men in six hours. Two French destroyers and some trawlers rescued another 221.

Over 900 men are believed to have perished; amongst them was Percy. Aged 23, he was awarded the 1915 Star in addition to the British War and Victory Medals. His body was never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial which stands on the tip of the Gallipoli Peninsular.

The memorial bears over 20,000 names and is both the memorial to the Gallipoli Campaign men who fell and have no known grave and to those men who were lost or buried at sea in Gallipoli waters. Inscribed on it are the names of all the ships that took part in the Campaign and the titles of the Army formations and units which served on the Peninsular.

His medals were left to his sister Hilda who had married James Henry Capps in 1918. The couple were living in Church Street. His name is also included on the Raunds War Memorial.