William Hassack

First name	William
Initials	W
Surname	Hassack
Birth Town	Denver, Norfolk
Resided Town	Maidstone, Kent
Nationality	British
Date of Death	September 1916
Fate	Killed in Action
Rank	Corporal
Service Number	3140
Duty Location	Loos and The Somme
Campaign Medals	1914/15 Star Victory Medal British War Medal Memorial Death Plaque Of WWI The Distinguished Conduct Medal
Service	British Army
Regiment
Battalion	Rifle Brigade 6th City of London Battalion, Rifle1st / 6th Battalion
Commemorated	Thiepval Memorial Pier and Face 9 D Denver, Norfolk on the War Memorial there as he lived there as a child and a young man Britain on the Remembrance Board at the Parish Church of St Michael & All Angels, Maidstone On the Tower War Memorial at the Parish Church of St Michael & All Angels, Maidstone, where he is recorded as ‘W. Hassock’. The plaque on the Choir Stalls at the Parish Church of St Michael & All Angels, where + indicates he died in the First World War serving King & Country. Percy Hassock’s name is at the top of the right column.

William known as Percy Hassack known as Hassock

Percy’s father was a farm labourer in Norfolk. By 1901 aged 16, William /Percy was a carter. By 1914 Percy was here in Maidstone. He attended the Parish Church of St Michael & All Angels where he sang in the Choir and he was a bell-ringer. The March 1915 Parish Magazine tells us that he was one of the bell ringers who had joined the Forces. In the Army he fought at Loos in September 1915. In May 1916 he was a Lance-Corporal and his machine gun emplacement was blown in and the gun and magazine buried. Hassack extricated himself, dug out the gun and magazine, took up an alternative emplacement and came into action again under heavy fire. He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry. He was killed in action at the Somme in September 1916 in the Battle of the Somme when he had been promoted to the rank of Corporal.