PRIVATE PERCY ARTHUR HEADY
Died 10th June 1917
No. 43502 of the Lincolnshire Regiment, 10th Battalion.
Born: Stewkley, Bucks 1894
Resided: Bletchley
Enlisted: Aylesbury
Percy was the only child of Arthur and Frances Ada Heady. They worked on a farm in Stewkley, belonging to Frances’ father. Percy had a cousin Connie, who’s parents owned a bakery in Stewkley, and once when they were playing around, Connie picked up a piece of dough, slapped it on to Percy’s face and said “There. Now you will never grow a beard.” He never did!
North Bucks Times, 19th June, 1917: “Mr L H London of Bridge Cycle Works, heard on Saturday that Percy Heady, one of his employees, who joined the army in the early days of the war, had been killed in action. Deceased was a native of Stewkley.”
North Bucks Times 26th June, 1917, under ‘Drayton Parslow’: “Killed. Private Percy Heady, whose death was briefly mentioned in our last issue, belonged to the Lincs Regt. and was the only son of Mr and Mrs Heady of Drayton Parslow, formerly of Woburn Sands. He was under 24 years of age. His Comapany Sgt. Major writing to his parents “We were being shelled whilst in the trenches & Percy was instantaneously killed in the afternoon. The same night he was buried with another of our lads & a small cross with his name denotes the place. I was present at the burial & a short service was held by one of our Officers. I have known Percy since he joined the battalion. We have all been delighted with his unassuming & gentlemanly ways. His devotion to his duty was most marked & helped him carry out his work from which many would shrink. For a strtcher bearer’s work is not always pleasant. I was frequently in his company & I looked upon him as a staunch friend & I shall miss him very much indeed. I lost my brother recently & I know what this loss will mean to you, his parents. Great sacrifices are daily being made. We must hope that some day the full meaning of all this will be shown us & in the meantime we must remember that he has given his life in carrying out what we all believe to be right & just. Percy’s labour is finished, his life completed but remembrance of such a noble lad will live in the minds of his fellow comrades.”
He was formerly no. 5711 of the Ox. and Bucks Light Infantry. He was killed in action in France, aged 23. He is listed on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France. Listed on the Woburn Sands Memorial.
His family ran the following memorial to him in the North Bucks Times, in June 1918:
“In ever loving memory of our only child, Pte. P A Heady, Lincs Regt, killed in action at Arras, France. June 10th 1917, age 23 1/2 Faithful until death.
The shock indeed was great, so sudden was the call
We prey that we may feel Gods hand in it all
But someday we hope to meet him, some day we know not when.
We shall clasp his hand in the better land, never to part again.”
His army service papers have not survived.
Page last updated Jan. 2019.