Pte
Percy Noel Radcliffe
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 01/08/1885 |
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Place of birth: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand |
General information
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Profession: Farmer |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 34143 |
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Enlistment date: 19/09/1916 |
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Enlistment place: Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Units: — Canterbury Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Bellevue, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 32 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 2 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
Percy Noel Radcliffe was born in August 1885. The farmer from Matata, Bay of Plenty served in the 12th Company, of the 2nd Battalion Canterbury Infantry Regiment, part of the 2nd Brigade, of the New Zealand Division. He was killed in action on 12 October 1917, during the First Battle of Passchendaele. According to documents made up after his death he was buried at the Bellevue Spur.
The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Infantry advanced together with the 2nd Otago Battalion. The Companies dug in near Korek and Boethoek on the Gravenstafel Spur.
In the report of the General Officer commanding the 2nd Brigade on the operations, it is stated that a patrol sent out by the 2nd Otago Battalion on the night of 10 and 11 October had discovered that the belt of barbed wire on the Bellevue spur was impassable. The artillery liaison officer was requested to get heavy artillery deal with these obstacles. After a long period of time the heavy artillery opened fire on the Bellevue Spur, but the damage they did was negligible.
These masses of uncut wire held up the advance on 12 October 1917. By 6 a.m. it was clear that the 2nd Otago could not get on. The artillery barrage had gone without properly cutting the wire and without taking out the German pillboxes and blockhouses. There was now nothing to hinder the activities of the German machine-gunners. The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, attached to the 2nd Otago Battalion, were called up from reserve. They tried to work round the flanks of the pillboxes at Bellevue, on the Gravenstafel-Mosselmarkt road. Party after party made the attempt from either flank to get as close as possible to the pill-boxes, but none succeeded in reaching them.
Eventually the Commanding Officers of all four battalions realized and agreed that is was impossible to advance until the wire had been cut and the pillboxes destroyed and further attacks were called off. The History of the Canterbury Regiment mentions that there can be no praise too high for these troops, who, with the example of failure after failure before them, undauntedly threw themselves against the impenetrable wire, raked by the heaviest machine-gun fire.
The attack on 12 October 1917 on the Bellevue spur, was an utter disaster. In four hours time the New Zealanders suffered 2.700 casualties, including 846 dead. 12 October is forever remembered as the most tragic day in New Zealand history. Percy Noel Radcliffe, aged 32, was killed in the attack on Bellevue. Percy has no known grave is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Infantry advanced together with the 2nd Otago Battalion. The Companies dug in near Korek and Boethoek on the Gravenstafel Spur.
In the report of the General Officer commanding the 2nd Brigade on the operations, it is stated that a patrol sent out by the 2nd Otago Battalion on the night of 10 and 11 October had discovered that the belt of barbed wire on the Bellevue spur was impassable. The artillery liaison officer was requested to get heavy artillery deal with these obstacles. After a long period of time the heavy artillery opened fire on the Bellevue Spur, but the damage they did was negligible.
These masses of uncut wire held up the advance on 12 October 1917. By 6 a.m. it was clear that the 2nd Otago could not get on. The artillery barrage had gone without properly cutting the wire and without taking out the German pillboxes and blockhouses. There was now nothing to hinder the activities of the German machine-gunners. The 2nd and 12th Companies of the 2nd Canterbury Battalion, attached to the 2nd Otago Battalion, were called up from reserve. They tried to work round the flanks of the pillboxes at Bellevue, on the Gravenstafel-Mosselmarkt road. Party after party made the attempt from either flank to get as close as possible to the pill-boxes, but none succeeded in reaching them.
Eventually the Commanding Officers of all four battalions realized and agreed that is was impossible to advance until the wire had been cut and the pillboxes destroyed and further attacks were called off. The History of the Canterbury Regiment mentions that there can be no praise too high for these troops, who, with the example of failure after failure before them, undauntedly threw themselves against the impenetrable wire, raked by the heaviest machine-gun fire.
The attack on 12 October 1917 on the Bellevue spur, was an utter disaster. In four hours time the New Zealanders suffered 2.700 casualties, including 846 dead. 12 October is forever remembered as the most tragic day in New Zealand history. Percy Noel Radcliffe, aged 32, was killed in the attack on Bellevue. Percy has no known grave is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 7
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Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C12729?n=Percy%20Noel%20Radcliffe&w=World%20War%20I%2C%201914-1918&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Sources used |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/848101/radcliffe,-percy-noel/ Sources used |
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Ferguson, D., "The History of the Canterbury Regiment N.Z.E.F. 1914-1919", Melbourne en Londen, Withcombe and Tombs Limited, 1921, 194-201. Sources used |
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Heritage image http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll Sources used |
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Long Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/?domain=www.1914-1918.net Sources used |
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McCarthy, C., "Passchendaele The Day-by-Day Accounts", Londen, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, pg 130-132. Sources used |
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Military Personnel File http://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=20803771 Sources used |