Captain Hugh PETLEY
2/1st (County of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) attached to the 1/7th (County of London) Battalion

Date of birth: 26th February 1888
Date of death: 16th September 1916

Killed in action aged 28
Commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial Panel and Face 9D and 16B
He was born at Deptford, Kent on the 26th of February 1888, the son of Edmund Petley, company secretary of the Public Telephone Company, and Louisa Hyne (nee Henderson) of "Hill View", Orpington in Kent. He was christened at St Andrew's Church, Peckham on the 1st of July 1888.

He was educated at the Abbey School, Beckenham and at the King's School Canterbury from January 1903 to July 1906, where he was in Holme House. He played for the Rugby XV in 1905/6 and was awarded his sports colours in 1906.

On leaving school he studied farming and in 1911 he was a student at Plain Farm near Swindon under Mr Charles Whatley.

Following the outbreak of war he enlisted as a Private 1334 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) rising to the rank of Sergeant. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2/1st (County of London) Battalion (Royal Fusiliers) on the 24th of April 1915, was promoted to Temporary Captain on the 8th of September 1915 and was attached to the 1/7th Battalion of his regiment.

On the 15th of September 1916 the 1/7th (County of London) Battalion was detailed to attack the German positions at High Wood during the Battle of the Somme. The wood had defied all attempts to take it over the previous two months and thousands of British casualties had been sustained in a number of major attacks since the July. Eight tanks were allotted to the attacking troops, the very first time they were deployed in the history of warfare.

Following a heavy bombardment of the German positions around the woods the battalion moved off at zero hour, 6.20am, and advanced on a 400 yard front towards their objective which was known as the 'Switch Trench'. As they moved forward the companies nearest to the wood began taking heavy casualties and the four tanks which they had been allocated soon came to grief. Despite this the 7th Londons took their objective at around noon and High Wood finally fell. Consolidation took place on the 16th and at about 3pm the battalion dug a new line 100 yards on advance of the Switch Trench.

Later that day, while returning to their companies from a briefing at battalion Headquarters, Hugh Petley and Captain Tom Rushworth were killed by the same shell.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at Holy Trinity Church, Sydenham.

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