Islander Who Took Part In One Of The Last British Mounted Cavalry Operations Seen Here, In This 1950’s Postcard Photograph.
Percy Victor Barrett was an “old school” cavalry man who was wounded during the Battle of Sharqat (October 1918) a conflict between the British and the Ottoman Empire in the Mesopotamian Campaign during World War One, this became the final battle in that theatre as a result of the signing of the armistice. During his long military career he took part in some of the last true cavalry operations of the British Army.
Percy was born in 1891 in Newport and he enlisted in 7th Queen’s Own Hussars in 1911, (eventually becoming a Sergeant). He served in India from October of that year until November 1919 and he was wounded on the 24th October 1918. He then re-enlisted in March 1919 in Muttra, India and returned home for discharge in December 1919, but then re-enlisted with the 3rd Hussars on 21st June 1920. In June 1920 he married Dorothy Anny Rayner at the Unitarian Chapel in Newport and their daughter, Peggy, was born in Newport in 1921. The family travelled to Egypt when Percy was posted to the barracks at Abbassia, near Cairo, and their son, Victor, was born there in 1925. Percy re-enlisted once more in March 1931 for a one year service and was finally discharged from the Army in 1932 after 21 years’ service. By 1939 the family were living at ‘Mayfield’, Dennett Road, Bembridge, and Percy was working as a groundsman at Browns Golf Course, Sandown cycling there and back every day from Bembridge. Dorothy died in 1957 and Percy died, aged 86, in 1977. Here I must register an interest as I was privileged to live next door to Percy for many years during the 1950’s and 60’s.
