Photo : Bacon

Medal Index Card

Newcastle Journal Thursday 10/02/1916

Newcastle Journal Monday 13/07/1915

Newcastle Journal Saturday 24/01/1914

Percival Donald Forrett was born at 128 King Street, Alfreton, Derbyshire on Tuesday the 8th April 1884, the son of Thomas Forrett, for 30 years Manager and Secretary of the Alfreton Gas Company, and his wife Isabella, daughter of John Bradford late of Shelly Bank, Yorkshire, a Manufacturer.

Percival was educated at Chesterfield Grammar School, and Armstrong College, where he trained to be a teacher, from 1907, he was the Science Master at Dame Allan's Endowed School in Newcastle.

School register page 6 has an entry:- MICHAELMAS TERM

"September 16th. Owing to the war we lost the services of Capt. Forrett and Mr Heads (who was promoted to Captain on December 3rd). They both joined their Territorial Battalions on Mobilization"].

In 1911 he was residing at Portland Road, Jesmond, Newcastle with his widowed mother Isabella.

He was a member of the Durham University O.T.C. Pecival was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers on the 21st December 1910. Then promoted to a Lieutenant on the 1st April 1911.

Further promotion followed to Captain on the 12th April 1913. On the outbreak of the war he volunteered for foreign service, and was gassed at the first battle of Ypres on the 24th May 1915.

Percival was invalided home, and on recovery was attached to the 2nd Line Battalion as second in command, with a temporary rank of Major from the 10th August 1915.

Captain Forrett had visited TOC H [Talbot House Museum], in Poperinge, away from the turmoil of battle in the Ypres Salient, the town became the nerve centre of the British sector. In the heart of this bustling town, the Army chaplains Neville Talbot and Philip 'Tubby' Clayton opened a club. From December 1915 onwards, and for more than three years, the House provided rest and recreation to all soldiers coming in, regardless of their rank.

On re-joining his battalion he reverted back to the rank of captain on the 14th September 1915. He was killed by a shell burst over the entrance to his dugout, with a fellow officer, Lieutenant Philips, [who died the following day from his wounds] on the 5th February 1916, whilst in the trenches. He was unmarried.

De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour

Acknowledgments; Tony Harding.

Percival Donald Forrett is remembered in Walker on W2.07, in Fenham on F31.01, in Newcastle on NUT063 and in Gateshead on G39.25

There is also a Memorial Bungalow to his memory.

Old Cestrefeldian Society
Universities at War
The War Graves Photographic Project
The CWGC entry for Captain Forrett