PERCY COURTMAN
14 May 1888 - 2 June 1917
At School 1899 - 1903
Pte 3012 & 250755 1/6th Manchester Regt
Percy was born in Hulme, Manchester, and in 1891, aged 2, was living at 261 Stretford Road, Hulme, with father James, an Estate and Insurance Agent, mother Percy Ann, 3 older sisters, elder brother James, also an Old Hulmeian, and younger brother Albert. By 1901 the family had moved to 491 Stretford Road and James senior was now described as an Estate Agent and Tax Collector. The family also now had a general domestic servant. By 1911, the family had moved again to 562 Stretford Road, and the three sons were working as Estate Agent Clerks.
At the 1903 School Swimming Sports the Humane Society of Salford offered silver medals for competition in life saving, attracting 15 entries. Percy was one of three winners and perhaps this ignited his enthusiasm for swimming as he went on to represent Great Britain in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games at breaststroke, winning a Bronze medal in 1912 for the 400 metres. Later that year he set world records in the 400 and 500 metre breaststroke distances. In July 1914 Percy broke the world record for the 200 metres breaststroke with a time of 2 minutes 56.6 seconds, which was the first recorded swim under 3 minutes. A list of his achievements is appended below.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of war put an end to Percy's swimming career just when it seemed he was reaching his peak.
He enlisted in the 6th Battalion, Manchester Territorials, his service number, 3012, suggesting that he joined in late September 1914.
The Territorials who had volunteered for overseas service had left for Egypt, as part of the 127th Brigade, East Lancashire Division, on 10th September, 1914, arriving on the 25th. On 3rd May 1915, the Battalion left Egypt for Gallipoli, arriving on the 5th. It is likely that Percy remained in England for training, possibly with the 2/6th Battalion. Percy's service records do not survive, but his medal roll shows he arrived in Gallipoli on 17th August 1915, with a third draft of reinforcements for the 1/6th Battalion. The service record of another man in the 3rd draft shows that he left
records do not survive, but his medal roll shows he
arrived in Gallipoli on 17th August 1915, with a third draft of
reinforcements for the 1/6th Battalion. The service record of another
man in the 3rd draft shows that he leftDevonport on 3rd August arriving in Gallipoli on the 17th and it is likely that Percy was on the same ship. The 1/6th had suffered severe casualties in an attack on the Turkish trenches at the Vineyard on 7th August, their effective strength on 8th August being down to 118 men. When Percy joined on the 17th, with a draft of 188 men, the Battalion were in Corps Reserve, but were immediately sent to the trenches for 3 days, probably to acclimatise the new men to trench life. It was here that the Battalion had its first experience of mining. No further attacks took place although the Battalion was in the firing line on numerous occasions. The main activities were mining, bombing, and artillery exchanges and sickness was rife, particularly amongst the second and third drafts. In October the 1/6th and 1/5th Battalions were amalgamated because of the low numbers of men available. Sickness continued to take its toll and at the end of December there were only 19 men out of the 188 in the 3rd draft who were still serving. Of the other 169 men only 3 had been killed and 6 wounded, the rest reporting sick. On 30th December the Battalion was evacuated to Mudros where they went into camp near Sarpi Village.
After a short stay on Mudros, the Battalion returned to Alexandria. The Division was renamed the 42nd (East Lancashire) Division and was based at Kantara in the Suez Canal Defences. Work was undertaken on the Defences to the east of the Canal during the spring and summer of 1916 including railway construction and water supplies. In the meantime the British had become aware of a build up of enemy forces crossing the Sinai on 9th July, arriving in the Oghratina area on the 19th. By the 24th they had moved to within 10 miles of Romani but then halted for 10 days.
During this time the British and Anzacs were moving into defensive positions, the Battalion moving by 3rd August from Kantara to Gilban Station, and on the 4th taking up positions in support between Gilban and Pelusium Stations. On the night of 3/4th August the enemy attacked Romani from Katia. By mid-morning on the 4th the Brigades of the Anzac Mounted Division had managed to check the advance and by nightfall had managed to push the attackers back to Katia. On the 5th, the Battalions of the 127th Brigade were ordered to advance to Hod el Anna in support of the mounted Australian, New Zealand and British Brigades who were driving the enemy forces back. On the 6th they were ordered to advance eastwards to a line from Bir el Mamluk to Bir Katia, approximately half a mile east of Katia. The two days of marching under a blazing sun and through desert sand had taken its toll on the troops and it was estimated up to 800 men had dropped out through thirst and heat exhaustion. It became clear that the infantry were not suited to the conditions and they took no further part in the advance. The battle marked the end of the defence of the Suez Canal and the retreat and ultimate defeat of the Turkish armies. The Infantry now took on roles to protect the railway and water pipeline, which were being constructed eastwards towards El Arish, a distance of some 110 miles from Kantara, and support the mounted troops. El Arish was reached on 21st December to find that the Turks had evacuated the village.
The Division stayed in the area during January but then received orders to return to the Canal in preparation for transfer to the Western Front. The Battalion was kitted out in February and proceeded to Alexandria on 1st March, where they boarded H.M.T. Corsican, leaving Egypt on the 2nd and arriving in Marseilles on the 9th disembarking at 19.30 hrs. At 22.00 hrs they boarded a train to take them north to the Front, arriving at Pont Remy, 5 miles south east of Abbeville, on the 12th. The Battalion then marched some 7 miles further south to billets at Citerne.
During March, the Battalion undertook training and attending courses. On the 29th they entrained for Chuignes, some 11 miles west of Peronne. Here further training was carried out and the Battalion also provided men for salvage duties and work on the roads and supply stations. Over April the Battalion moved gradually eastwards, continuing to mend and construct the road network and on the 26th were ordered to relieve the 1st East Lancs Regt in the line on the eastern fringe of Epehy, 11 miles north east of Peronne.
The relief took place on 29th April. For the next 3 weeks the Battalion was in and out of the front and reserve limes around Epehy. It was a quiet sector of the front and although some shelling and sniping occurred, little damage was done. On 18th May they moved again, further north to Ytres, 7 miles south east of Bapaume. The Germans had withdrawn to the Hindenburg Line and Ytres was now well behind the front line. The Battalion moved north eastwards to Havrincourt Wood
where the trenches were in terrible order. Much work had to be done to get them serviceable and by the 30th May about 30% of the trenches had been dug to a suitable depth, and considerable effort was being put into draining, fire-stepping and deepening the front and support line trenches. On the 31st, the Battalion was relieved and D Company proceeded to the Reserve Line area, Square Q1 c on the map below, to "poor trenches and bivouacs". Although they were behind the front line, they were still
still within artillery range and on 2nd June, Lance Corporal Stanley Cooke noted in his diary that shells had been dropping around all morning and: "Poor Percy, blown to bits by one about breakfast".
Percy's body was recovered and he is buried in the Neuville-Boujonval British Cemetery just outside the south west corner of Havrincourt Wood, Row F Grave 20.
As a tribute to Percy's swimming prowess, a trophy was donated to his old swimming club, Old Trafford Swimming Club, the "Percy Courtman Memorial Cup", which was awarded to the winner of the 200 yards breaststroke race at the Club's annual gala. The race was open to "youths under 18, resident in the Northern Counties".
Old Trafford Swimming Club no longer seems to exist and the most recent reference I can find to the race is in 1958.
THE HULMEIAN - July 1917
The School and the War
Deaths
PERCY COURTMAN, Manchester Regiment, was killed in action on June 2nd. He was at the School from 1899 to 1903, and was well known as the champion 200-yards breast-stroke swimmer. He won that distinction first in 1907, and held it for several years. He learnt to swim in the School swimming class at Leaf Street Baths.
Domestic Titles (ASA Championships)
200 yards breaststroke 1907 09 16 Birmingham 2.55.4
1908 07 08 Manchester 2.47.2
1909 09 23 London 2.46.2
1910 Sheffield 2.47.8
1913 09.13 Weston s Mare 2.43.0
British Record
200 yards breaststroke 1914 07.28 Garston 2.41.0
World Records
200 metres breaststroke 1914 07 28 Garston 2.56.6
400 metres breaststroke 1912 12 12 Manchester 6.14.2
500 metres breaststroke 1912 12 12 Manchester 7.51.0
Olympic Results
200 metres breaststroke 1908 London Second in Heat 7 3.18.4
1912 Copenhagen Fourth in Finals 3.08.8
400 metres breaststroke 1912 Copenhagen Third in Finals 6.36.4