To:10175 Pte P. PAPWORTH 2/Bedfordshire Regt.
PERCY PAPWORTH (One of five brothers, who all fought in The Great War,) was born in ARLESEY, Bedfordshire and enlisted as a regular soldier on 13th December 1912. He was stationed in South Africa at Roberts Heights near Pretoria at the start of the Great War. He arrived in France in 7th October 1914 (M.I.C. incorrectly states 19th) and was captured and made a prisoner of war on 18/19th October 1914 during the 2nd Bedford's first encounter with the enemy at the 10km post on the Menin-Ypres road.The 2nd Bn Bedford's had undergone a serious enemy attack on this day (1st Battle of Yypes ) and had sustained many wounded men. Percy himself was wounded ( entitled to Silver War Badge) and when his unit withdrew, he had with great gallantry, stopped behind to assist a badly wounded comrade. He was still assisting this man when the enemy arrived! Percy spent the rest of the war in three of the worst German P.O.W. camps at Altmann, Schneidemuhl and Herzleiden. The camp at Schneidemuhl, then about 80 miles from the German-Russian border, now in Poland, was described by the Red Cross as a "Hell Hole" 
He was transferred to internment in Switzerland in 1918 and due to his then poor post war health was discharged on 14th June 1919 as "no longer physically fit". Percy Papworth's capture & subsequent release is most unusually the subject of over 60 contemporary local (Biggleswade & Bedford) newspaper articles now available on line. We have included 9 of the most informative in the research pack with this group. A reproduction of the KING'S P.O.W. LETTER which all returning ex-prisoners received is included with the group. 
Also included are three early driving licences and an insurance document. These illustrate that Percy was alive and well and was still driving in 1971 and probably in his early 80's .....an uncommon survivor indeed !& his brother's single 1914 star & bar 
To:9922 Pte S. PAPWORTH,2/Bedfordshire Regt. later A.S.C. & Hampshire Regt Sydney was serving in Pretoria, South Africa when the war broke out and was in the September contingent drafted to England
THE BEDFORDSHIRE TIMES STATES. He landed in France on 18th September (actually 7th October) and was seriously wounded off Dixmude. He did several days marching from Antwerp to the scene of battle with his regiment and with the Northumberland fusiliers, subsequently taking part in five bayonet charges. He spent 19 days in a trench with his comrades, and frequently stood in water covering his boots. The hardships were many, but the soldiers endured them without a murmur while advancing from one trench to another. A piece of shell struck his right shoulder and a bullet passed right through his right elbow. He was taken to Paris, spent some time in hospital there and later was transferred to Sheffield hospital.There were yet another 'three' PAPWORTH brothers ...( FIVE boys in all ....the sons of Mr & Mrs J. PAPWORTH ).Pte George PAPWORTH (Royal Fusiliers) Had recently been home (c, summer 1918) on four days leave and had for several months previously been at King George's hospital where he had been suffering with wounds in the left arm and face, and had lost the sight of his right eye: this happened in France.Rifleman William PAPWORTHwas at Malta hospital with fever ( malaria )And Pte Harry PAPWORTH, Cambridgeshire Regt who had also been wounded. IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE OTHER MEDAL GROUPS TO THE PAPWORTH BROTHERS ( OR THE PAIR TO SYDNEY ) PLEASE LET US KNOW, AS WE WOULD LOVE TO RE-UNITE THESE FIVE BROTHERS AWARDS.....THANKS ! A VERY RARE, EARLY & UNUSUALLY WELL DOCUMENTED P.O.W. GROUP & WOUNDED BROTHER'S STAR .....BOTH WITH ORIGINAL AUG-NOV CLASPS .......ONLY £625
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