BORN HULL 1896. SON OF HERBERT EDWARD DALTON (MM) (1870-1954) & MARY ANN OLIVER (1871-1950), OF 25 MAY TREE AVENUE, GARDEN VILLAGE (1911 CENSUS) & 24, JESMOND GARDENS, HOLDERNESS ROAD, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). HIS FATHER, SERGEANT, HERBERT DALTON, WAS EX FOREMAN AT HULL’S OIL & CAKE MILLS. AND WAS AWARDED THE MILITARY MEDAL (MM) AND DISCHARGED AFTER HIS RIGHT LEG WAS AMPUTATED.
PERCY DALTON WAS A TIN PACKER FOR RECTITT’S, LIVING AT 30 SEATON STREET, HULL. ALSO A PRINTER, FOOTBALLER AND MORRIS DANCER. HE SERVED AS PRIVATE, 2368, 1/4TH EAST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT. HE DIED OF WOUNDS ON 25/04/1915, AGED 19, AFTER HIS LEG WAS AMPUTATED.
HIS BROTHER, THOMAS DALTON, 2515, EYR, DIED OF WOUNDS, ON 06/03/1915.
“Shortly after 5pm the 1/4th battalion was ordered to attack towards St Julien and advanced in ‘artillery formation’, with two platoons of D Company in front, led by Lt-Col Shaw. On reaching Bridge House the battalion swung north towards St Julien; it now came under heavy rifle and machine gun fire and was swept by Shrapnel shells and heavy howitzer shells. Eye-witnesses described the tired and hungry battalion behaving ‘as if they were doing an attack practice in peace’. At 950 yards (870 m) and again at 500 yards (460 m) the men opened rifle fire on the enemy, with little apparent effect. Coming upon a road the battalion could advance no further against the hostile fire, and took cover. Lieutenant-Colonel Shaw had been killed by a rifle bullet during the advance, and the CO of the Green Howards took over both battalions. The East Yorkshires were ordered to stay where they were until nightfall; they saw no sign of the Canadians who were supposed to be in St Julien, but their rifle fire combined with the Canadian artillery broke up a German attack from the village, and neither side held it at the end of the day. 1/4th East Yorkshires was permitted to withdraw after dark; in its first action the battalion had lost three officers and 12 other ranks killed, 66 wounded and 17 missing, of whom 10 were known to be wounded.”
HE LEFT THREE BROTHERS AND A SISTER. NOTE: HULL DAILY MAIL PHOTOGRAPH OF BERT DALTON, OF 50 SEATON STREET 01/05/1918. HIS BROTHER, TOM DALTON, LIVED AT 238 HOLDERNESS ROAD ALSO FELL ON 06/05/1915. THE TWO BROTHER’S PHOTOGRAPHS APPEAR IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL 4TH JUNE 1915. *
