16th October – Trenches heavily shelled from 7-8am, by guns of medium calibre. Received orders
to join with Coldstream and bomb down Big Willie, to meet 2nd Bn Scots Guards. Attack to start at
5am 17th. Casualties from previous day: 5 killed, 12 wounded and one missing, approximately.
17th October – The day Percival died. Very heavy and accurate shelling from 6am – 2pm by guns
of all sizes. Capt. Lord F. Blackwood was blown up by a shell and concussed. Soon afer 12 noon
Capt. Dowlng and Lt. Hirst were buried in their dugout and had to be evacuated. No. 1 Coy had far
the largest proportion of casualties.11 Killed, 33 wounded, 1 missing and 2nd Lieutenant P. Walker
went sick,suffering from heart attack. The Battalion was relieved by 1st Bn Scots Guards and went
into rest trenches behind Vermelles railway, a smooth relief which finished at 2a.m.
20th October – Paraded at 3pm, and went back into the line, relieving lst Bn. Scots Guards. Started
a fire trench parallel and close to Big Willie (aferwards called Kaiserine Trench)
21st Ocober – Improved fire trench and continued sapping on Kaiserine Trench. Enemy snipers
active. We accounted for 3.
Major Montgomerie (the author of this diary) was shot through the head and killed on the night of
21/22nd whilst superintending work on Kaiserine Tench under heavy fire........"
The cemetery was begun in August 1915 (though a few graves were slightly earlier) and during the
Battle of Loos, when the Chateau was used as a dressing station, Plot I was completed.
Brothers Alexander Rupert, Douglas George and Percival Charles all died in the Great War. Their
father died in 1930. Brother, Ernest Gordon, and sister, Muriel Alice, are believed to have lived for
many years.
A fitting tirbute to Percival Charles was sent to the Penarth Times:
PENARTH HERO’S DEATH – CHOSE THE HARDER TASK – We regret to have to announce the
death of another Penarth boy, Mr Percy Hoult of Grove Terrace, who was killed in action on the
17th October.