Percy Hanglin was born in Kidderminster in 1880, to parents Robert and Martha.

At the time of his birth, Percy was their third child - his two elder siblings being Robert (Jnr.) and Joseph, both of whom were born in Thetford, Norfolk, the birthplace and home of Percy’s mother Martha.

However, Percy's dad was always a 'Kiddy' lad, having been born and bred in Lower Clensmore, Kidderminster; although how he met, fell in love with and married, a girl from Thetford, some 150 miles away, is something of a mystery.

It appears that Robert and Martha made the move back to Kidderminster from Thetford at some point in the 1870’s, with Percy being the first of their Kidderminster-born children.

Subsequently, Robert (Snr.) and Martha went on to have another six children after Percy – they were: Edith, Ernest, Fred, May, Albert and Gertrude.

In the National Census of 1901, it shows Robert (Snr.) and Martha living at number 12 Bewdley Street in Kidderminster, along with eight of their children - Joseph, Percy, Edith, Ernest, Fred, May, Albert and Gertrude (their oldest son, Robert Jnr. had left home by 1901, having married Nellie Lines in 1892.)

At this time, Percy's dad was running the family business – he was a butcher and he was never short of help in the family shop on Bewdley Street, with Percy, Ernest and Edith all keen to assist whenever they were allowed.

It appears that the business might actually have been run in the name of Martha, the family matriarch (see image below, young Ernest proudly stands outside the shop, under the sign ‘M Hanglin.’)

As he grew older, Percy was keen to play a greater part in the business, and eventually he took up butchery himself, at one point becoming Secretary of Kidderminster's Master Butcher’s Association.

At around this time (1904) Percy’s young brother Ernest (seen above), left the family home and joined the army, to serve with the Queens Own Worcestershire Hussars.

In 1906, Percy married Kidderminster girl Fanny Collins and together they set up home a few miles away in Bewdley, where they opened a second butchers shop. 

In 1911, the National Census confirms Percy as living at number 73 Load Street in Bewdley – with his wife Fanny and their two children – Percy John (born in 1907) and Jack Frederick (born in 1908). Percy’s younger brother Albert, also lived with Percy and Fanny at the same address and was listed as a butcher's assistant.

Tragedy struck the family in 1914, when Percy's elder brother Joseph was killed in a freak accident - as reported by the County Express newspaper:

“Joseph Hanglin of Talbot Lane, Quarry Bank, a driver in the employ of the L&NWR Co. was driving along Mill Street, Brierley Hill with two horses and a van when he fell off the vehicle, the wheels passing over his body. Death ensued when he was being conveyed to the hospital.”

Unfortunately, Joseph wouldn’t be the last of the Hanglin brothers to die tragically…

Like most young men at the time, when World War One broke out, Percy would have been keen to sign-up and do his duty for King and Country.

At this time, Percy's local MP was a certain Major Eric Ayshford Knight (1863-1944).

Major Knight had seen action in the Second Boer War with the 5th Battalion of the Imperial Yeomanry (a new overarching title given to British volunteer cavalry regiments, Major Knight had previously served with the Worcestershire Yeomanry). The MP had been awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal with 1902 clasp for his service.

Major Knight personally headed-up a huge recruitment drive in Kidderminster and outlaying districts when war broke out, directing as many young men as he could towards the Worcestershire Yeomanry – the regiment that Percy’s brother Ernest had just completed ten years’ service with.

In fact, Ernest had only just left the Worcestershire Yeomanry three months before war broke out, but now, at the commencement of hostilities, he quickly re-signed with his old Regiment.

It's not known whether it was Major Knight’s local recruitment drive or brother Ernest’s previous life within the Regiment that persuaded Percy to join the Worcestershire Yeomanry as well – but join them he did, meaning that the two brothers would soon be serving side-by-side.

As confirmed within the excellent book entitled “Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry” written by Brian R. Owen:

“On August the 4th 1914, the squadrons mobilised at their respective centres... ‘A’ at Kidderminster, ‘B’ at Birmingham, ‘C’ at Malvern ‘D’ and HQ at Worcester… A week later the Regiment moved by rail to the Brigade concentration point at Warwick. The Regiment’s inadequate transport led to the requisitioning of a collection of coal carts, water carts, bread vans and milk floats. 

“April 1915, News arrived that the Regiment was to be ordered overseas. A final inspection was made by its Honorary Colonel, Viscount Cobham and Lady Dudley presented all ranks with a sprig of pear blossom as she had done with the Imperial Yeomanry in 1900.”

Both Percy Hanglin and his brother Ernest - both of the Worcester Yeomanry - embarked at Avonmouth on the 8th of April 1915 and by the end of the month, the entire Brigade had been landed at Alexandria, entering camp at nearby Chatby. Again, as told by Brian R. Owen:

“On August the 13th, General Wiggin announced that the whole Division was ordered on active service to Gallipoli – as infantry!

“… on August the 20th, the Division took part in a big Offensive against the Turkish positions a Suvla, with the view of capturing Scimitar Hill… the attack was pushed under heavy shrapnel fire which broke the forces into isolated units and action became a case of Troop initiative.

“The Division regrouped after dark only to learn that they were to withdraw. The great attack had failed to achieve its main objectives. Divisional casualties were 4,000 or around 30%. The Regiment sustained 43 casualties.”

But both Percy Hanglin and his brother Ernest survived this terrible battle for Scimitar Hill. However, they then had to suffer three horrendous months of trench-warfare during which the Worcestershire Yeomanry remained at Suvla Bay, under heavy bombardment.

Finally, on the 31st of October, the Regiment was pulled out from Suvla and withdrawn to Mudros on the Aegean Island of Lemnos for rest, recouperation – and importantly, reinforcement. 

On November the 30th the Regiment was redeployed to Mena Camp near Cairo. Percy was off the front line and both he and his brother Ernest were safe for the time being.

Brian R. Owen picks-up the story once again:

 “…January 1916; The whole Brigade was in the (Suez) Canal Zone and the Regiment, split into squadrons, was patrolling against the Turks… On March the 31st the whole Regiment was sent to Qatia, an extreme outpost of the canal defences, in an area where the Turks appeared to be moving in large forces.”

“On April the 9th, three troops of ‘A’ and one of ‘C’ squadron were involved in a skirmish at El Abd.” 

Once again both Percy and Ernest (who were in ‘A’ squadron) had survived front-line combat against numerically superior Turkish forces.

The Canal Zone now occupied by the Worcestershire Yeomanry had previously been attacked by Turkish troops in 1915, led by a German Colonel named Friedrich Freiherr Kress von Kressentein. This attack had been repulsed and the German-led Turks retreated, melting away into the vast Sinai desert…

In 1916, the British high command decided to go on the offensive and push eastward, across the desert. To achieve any success in such a venture, access to water would be absolutely vital and the area around Qatia was identified as having a cluster of wells that could potentially, play a key role. However, these wells would need to be developed in order to sufficiently support the needs of the British forces.

Consequently, accompanied by ‘D’ and ‘A’ squadrons of the Worcestershire Yeomanry – around 50 Royal Engineers were dispatched, to Oghratina (a small peak not far from Qatia) to undertake this development work.  

At around this time, the Turks were coming under increasing pressure from their Germans allies to disrupt the Suez Canal operations. To assuage his countrymen's frustrations and to ease the pressure on the Turks, Kress von Kressenstein pulled-together a large force of around 3,700 men supported by six 75mm guns and four machine guns. 

Meanwhile, on the 22nd of April, a British spotter-plane reported seeing around 300 Turkish troops congregated at Mageibra, some miles away from Qatia. 

Captain Wiggin asked General Lawrence, who Commanded the area, if they had permission to attack them. Permission was granted so Wiggin set-off with ‘C’ squadron of the Worcestershire Yeomanry and two squadrons from the Warwickshire Yeomanry who'd been stationed in Qatia to complete the task. 

In the early hours of the 23rd of April (Easter Sunday) the troops at Oghratina were shrouded in thick fog. At around 04.30hrs, movement was detected at the foot of the small hill where they’d set-up camp. The noise was eventually identified as being Turkish troops watering and tending to their camels.

When the Turks rode away, several Yeomanry scouts followed them - until they observed a large Turkish force heading their way. The scouts withdrew back to camp and reported what they’d seen.

The Officer-in-charge of the Yeomanry based on the small-rise at Oghrantina (Major Williams-Thomas) thought that the oncoming Turks might miss them - assuming that they were more likely to be heading directly to Qatia. He was aware however, that if they were attacked by the Turks, his orders were to withdraw his Yeomanry to Qatia. However, he was also fully aware that the Royal Engineers had no horses, so would be left to fend for themselves. Fearing for their survival, he decided to stay with the Engineers on the hill, come-what-may.

The enemy force of over 3,000 Turks did spot the Yeomanry at Ograntina and they attacked. 

By 05.30hrs vicious fighting was taking place all around the Yeomanry positions. Major Williams-Thomas made contact with HQ in Qatia updating them on his worsening situation. It's said that HQ personnel could hear for themselves, the noise of battle coming from Oghratina, drifting through the dense fog.

Slowly the perimeter-lines held by the Yeomanry began to shrink under the weight of the Turkish onslaught. The phone line between Oghratina and Qatia was cut at around 07.00hrs and it was subsequently reported that by 08.00hrs, there were only around 65 men still fit-for-service and that only around half of them had rifles that were still serviceable.

By this time, ‘A’ Squadron was being commanded by a Corporal and ‘D’ Squadron had already lost five of its six Officers. In order to prevent further needless loss of life, Major Williams-Thomas made the decision to surrender his position and his remaining troops to the Turks.

The Turks accepted the surrender and advanced onwards towards Qatia - which was now only being defended by little more than a skeleton-crew after Brigadier Wiggin had decided to ride-out and attack the enemy that had previously been spotted at Mageibra.

One Squadron of 95 men from the Royal Gloucester Yeomanry and 40 dismounted members of the Worcestershire Yeomanry were all that stood between the Turks and the capture of Qatia.

 The British troops at Qatia feared that their compatriots at Oghratina had been overrun, due to the distant noise of battle having stopped. The Officer-in-charge at Qatia (Captain Lloyd-Baker) now faced the same dilemma that had earlier faced Major Williams-Thomas at Ogharatina...

Although Captain Lloyd-Baker’s orders were also to withdraw if attacked, he realised that he would have to leave the dismounted Worcestershire Yeomanry at the mercy of the Turks if he followed those orders. So when the small British force at Qatia came under attack, Captain Lloyd-Baker made the decision to hold their position and make a stand.

Initially, the Turkish artillery devastated the ranks of the defending troops, killing horses and men at an alarming rate.

By mid-morning a small number of reinforcements had arrived - included Captain Wiggin who’d left Mageibra immediately upon hearing the sound of battle from across the desert in the early hours. (Mageibra had been found virtually empty except for a handful of Turks and some camels).

Colonel Coventry with ‘C’ Squadron was also racing back to join the fight at Qatia after having earlier left in a forlorn attempt to reach Major Williams-Thomas’s force at Ogharatina.

In order to get back and help the beleaguered force at Qatia, Colonel Coventry and his squadron covered 36 miles in the night and by the time they reached Qatia, both the Yeomen and their horses were totally exhausted and desperately thirsty. On arrival however, he rallied his troops and took command of the camp, organising stiff and effective resistance against the continuous Turkish attacks - despite the overwhelming odds of around 10-1 in favour of the Turks.

By the afternoon, in the face of imminent defeat, Colonel Coventry ordered those that could escape the battle to do so on the horses that were still alive. Only 80 men got away, including Brigadier Wiggin, who'd been unconscious for an hour, due to blood loss from wounds received.

The Gloucestershire Hussars lost 4 officers and 16 other ranks killed, 15 other ranks were wounded and 64 were taken prisoner.

The casualties of the Worcestershire Yeomanry at Oghratina and Qatia were even worse with a loss of 9 officers and 101 other ranks killed and 235 men taken prisoner. The regiment was almost wiped out, mustering just 54 NCOs and men after the action.

Percy Hanglin was killed bravely fighting the enemy on April the 23rd, 1916.

Whether he fell at Oghratina with so many of his ‘A’  Squadron ‘oppos, or at Qatia, with that small beleaguered but defiant defensive force, is not confirmed. That he fell valiantly however, cannot be questioned.

Anzac troops, who occupied both Qatia and Oghratina four days later, testified to the ferocity of the battle and paid tribute to the valour and tenacity of the defenders.

Percy’s brother Ernest was wounded and subsequently captured by the Turks in the same action. He was taken prisoner and tragically died of the wounds that he'd received in battle, on April the 30th, 1916.

Percy’s youngest brother Albert also served – he fought with the Royal Flying Corps and thankfully, survived the War. 

Kidderminster’s MP - Major Eric Ayshford Knight - who’d canvassed so hard for new recruits to join the Worcestershire Yeomanry on the outbreak of World War One, was distraught following the decimation of his old Regiment at the battle of Qatar. He suffered huge bouts of depression and in his own words: 

“I knew all of the Officers and many of the men, the fact that so many were lost will cause me great personal sorrow for the rest of my life.”

He felt responsible because he had recruited many of them personally. Throughout his term as MP for Kidderminster thereafter, he campaigned vigorously for voluntary soldiers to be paid a regular soldier’s salary. He also did everything possible to provide support (financial and emotional) to the families of those lost at Oghratina and Qatia.

Percy Hanglin is commemorated on the CWGC Jerusalem Memorial in Israel (Panel 3 and 5).

He is also remembered on the Kidderminster War Memorial, the Far Forest Holy Trinity Church War Memorial and within Worcester Cathedral, on the Queens Own Worcestershire Hussars Memorial.

He will never be forgotten…

Acknowledgements: Worcestershire Yeomanry Cavalry by Brian R. Owen ~ ww1worcestershire.co.uk ~ rememberthefallen.co.uk ~ the Hanglin family for images.