Corporal Percy Virgo (Reg. No. 5127049) of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment died in the Battle of Overloon on 13th October 1944 having served in the army for around 3 years.

An article in the Birmingham Mail of 27th October, 1944 was written by a journalist on the front line sometime after September 17th. He mentions meeting Percy when describing conditions in the field as the men waited in almost complete silence in slit trenches just fifty yards from the enemy prior to attacking a position near Overloon. It was published just three days after the announcement in the Staffordshire Sentinel of his death which also included his photo:

Royal Warwicks in Front Line
Fifty Yards from the Nazis

In a silent forest, which is an offshoot of the Reichswald,on the Dutch German frontier, I met the silent company of the Royal Warwicks, writes a military observer. I went there with two gunner officers of a field regiment Royal Artillery who were to direct a shoot from our forward observation post.

With them I reported to the commander of “B “ Company of the Royal Warwicks, Major Eric Butterworth.

His HQ was only a few hundred yards from the enemy and even in there I noticed the officers and men of the Royal Warwicks spoke in their low frontline voices. The forward platoon of this company is completely silent, for the enemy is so near that even the softest voice might carry to the Germans and give our position away.
“We are the furthest forward company of the 2nd Army “said Major Butterworth. “We took over this position from the American Airborne who were not sorry to be relieved. They had been in this area for several days, an outpost of their great “drop” on September 17.

“They advised us to go extremely warily. There are sharp eyed German snipers on the look out for any movement which might give them a target.”

The position when I went there was fairly quiet. Our shells screamed over towards the enemy and mortar bombs crumped in the trees about half a mile away.

In slit trenches.

The second in command Captain Patrick Johnson of Compton Hall, Compton, Wolverhampton, took me round one of the platoon positions. The men were in slit trenches on a forward slope under the cover of young trees. Their rifles and Bren guns trained on flat country on the other side of the road and along the road itself.

In this semi silent platoon I had whispered chats with Pte. Stanley Adams, 456 Chinnbrook Road, Billesley, Birmingham and Cpl. Percy Virgo (aged 21), from 19 Raymond St, Shelton Stoke in Trent.

In the completely silent platoon’s position, they were not receiving visitors of any kind, but I met the platoon commander, Lieut. Frank Clayton of Hammerwich Vicarage, Lichfield at Company Headquarters.
“Our foremost section is only 50 yards from the enemy, so our men have to keep very quiet”, he said.

“Last night with Captain Johnson, I went out forward of that section. We got so close to the Germans that we could hear them talking and closing the bolts of their rifles. They spotted us and opened up, but they didn’t hit us. A grenade fell near us, but it didn’t explode. That was a bit of luck.”

Percy was born in late 1923 so was just 21 when he died. He did not marry. His parents were Percy Virgo and Harriet James who had married in 1912 in Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire and were living at 19 Raymond St, Shelton in 1944. His father was born on 18th October 1893 and was a Tile Maker, reflecting the substantial ceramics industry in Stoke on Trent. Harriet was born on 4th August 1892. Both were born in Stoke on Trent. Percy’s grandfather, William Virgo, had been born in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

Percy (Snr) and Harriet Virgo had 4 boys and 6 girls between 1913 and 1934. Sadly, two of the boys did not survive infancy. The eldest boy, George W Percy, had joined the RAF in 1940 and rose to the rank of Corporal. He was killed in Libya on 29th May, 1942. His death was only finally reported in the Staffordshire Sentinel on 7th October 1942. He left a wife, Ada, but no children.

Prior to the war, Percy was employed by Mr GA Robinson, Engineer, Hartshill while George had been employed as General Confectionery Driver & Salesman at Caudwell’s Victoria Bakery in Hanley. Teresa Virgo, Percy’s niece, believes that while George was available for conscription, Percy was not, perhaps due to being in a restricted occupation. However, he joined up either because George had done so or when he became aware that George had died.

The death of both George and Percy left Percy and Harriet with just their six daughters and one remaining son, William, who was born in 1934 so took no part in the war. Teresa Virgo is William’s daughter.

Percy Virgo (Snr) died in 1977 and Harriet in 1980 – both in Stoke.

From FindMyPast website: Civil and Parish Birth, Marriage and Death Records; England Census and 1939 Register Records; Electoral Rolls; Military Records
Military records from ForcesWarRecords website
Articles in the Staffordshire Sentinel and Birmingham Mail
Photo of Percy from Staffordshire Sentinel 24/10/1944 (Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.)
Assistance from Teresa Virgo (Percy’s niece)

Research Elaine Gathercole