Percy William Cocks
Percy William Cocks was born in Welwyn in 1883, son of Camper Cocks and his wife Sarah. Camper was a well known Plumber in the village, living in Unity Place, Church Street.
Both Percy and his younger brother Cecil became Bakers, Cecil staying in the village. Percy is yet to be found in any Census records after 1891 but appears again in 1917 as a Baker in High Street, Brentford.
Until that time Percy had been exempt from service due to his Certified Occupation as a Baker, but in January 1917 he was called before the Brentford Tribunal who wished to remove his certified occupation status, it’s decision was made on the 8th February-
‘This Appellant had previously received from this Tribunal exemption on the grounds that he was engaged in the certified occupation of a bread baker. He is aged 31 and single, and as he was unable to produce a certificate of classification by a Recruiting Medical Board, notwithstanding the request to him to do so, the Tribunal had to conclude that he was fit for general service, and, consequently, removed from the list of certified occupations.’
Percy, or more likely his employer, appealed against this decision and that appeal was heard on the 27th February 1917 in the Guildhall, Westminster. His appeal was dismissed and he was told that he would be called up after 14 days.
The 49th Company fought in 1918 at the Somme and Percy was killed on the 1st May 1918, just six weeks before the company returned to England.
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