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Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. "is it a Boche?" August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider-Rider's driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are "gleaning" a field. Gleaning is the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest.

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves in the Great War

Home | Soldiers | Corporal Percy Harper Reeves in the Great War

Married to the Pecqueur Sisters of St-Pol-sur-Ternoise

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves 422314 enlisted with the 44th Battalion, at twenty-two years of age, in Winnipeg on 18 March 1915. He stood 5′ 8″ tall, with a scar over the left eye. Dark complexion, brown eyes, and black hair. Born in Parishville, NY on 27 August 1893.

44th Battalion Camp Sewell Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
44th Battalion Camp Sewell

8th Battalion

Pte Percy Harper Reeves entered the Western Front with the 8th Battalion on 22 July 1915.

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
Non-commissioned Officers who have won decorations (8th Infantry Battalion (90th Winnipeg Rifles) – Winnipeg). June, 1916 Just west of Abele, Belgium. MIKAN No. 3405967

Private Percy Reeves admitted to No. 2 Canadian Field Ambulance on 6 December 1915 with influenza. He rejoined his unit, the 8th Battalion, on 14 December 1915.

MIKAN No. 3395745 Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
Interior of Ward 7. 2nd Canadian Field Ambulance. June, 1916. MIKAN No. 3395745
Batman

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves transferred to the 2nd Infantry Brigade HQ on 17 January 1916. On 11 April 1916, transferred to Canadian Army Corps HQ as batman to Captain Harry Knobel (the first CWRO photographer). Four days later, Percy treated for bronchitis at No. 4 CFA, but returned to duty the following day. Transferred to the 8th Battalion on 11 May 1916.

Grange crater was the site of tunneling operations and mining in the lead up to the Attack on Vimy Ridge. This photo depicts the site of these operations. An early memorial can be seen at the lip of the crater. Official photographer William Rider-Rider's assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, can be seen in the crater.
Grange crater the site of tunneling operations and mining in the lead up to the Attack on Vimy Ridge. This photo depicts the site of these operations. An early memorial can be seen at the lip of the crater. Official photographer William Rider-Rider’s assistant, Corporal Percy Harper Reeves, can be seen in the crater. MIKAN No 3397842

Louise Marie Pecqueur

On 24 July 1917, Louise Marie Pecqueur of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France gave birth to a male stillborn child. The death certificate, signed by the mayor’s assistant Edmond Edmont, notes Louise is 21 years of age at this time.

August 1917

Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. "is it a Boche?" August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider Rider's driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are "gleaning" a field. Gleaning is the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest. MIKAN No. 3396756
Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. “is it a Boche?” August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider Rider’s driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Corporal Percy Harper Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are “gleaning” a field. Gleaning is the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest. MIKAN No. 3396756

October 1917

Canadian War Records camera battery going into action. October, 1917. This shows the assistants of official Canadian War Records Office cameraman William Rider-Rider going up the trenches at "Cafax Road" trench (likely this is Carfax Road trench, near Lens, France). Rider-Rider's assistant was Cpl. Percy Reeves, while his driver, named Burstall, frequently helped carry items. Here, one assistant carries a tripod, while another carries two camera cases, including what could be a Kodak Panoram, used by Rider-Rider for panoramic shots. MIKAN No. 3404832
Canadian War Records camera battery going into action. October, 1917. This shows the assistants of official Canadian War Records Office cameraman William Rider-Rider going up the trenches at “Cafax Road” trench (likely this is Carfax Road trench, near Lens, France). Rider-Rider’s assistant was Corporal Percy Harper Reeves, while his driver, named Burstall, frequently helped carry items. Here, one assistant carries a tripod, while another carries two camera cases, including what could be a Kodak Panoram, used by Rider-Rider for panoramic shots. MIKAN No. 3404832
Photographer's car under shell fire. October, 1917 This photo shows official photographer William Rider-Rider's vauxhall saloon car, with his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, sheltering behind it during a bombardment. MIKAN No. 3522030
Photographer’s car under shell fire. October, 1917 This photo shows official photographer William Rider-Rider’s vauxhall saloon car, with his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, sheltering behind it during a bombardment. MIKAN No. 3522030
Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
A Canadian soldier (Corporal Percy Harper Reeves) sitting on a mile-stone in Flanders. October, 1917. MIKAN No. 3396779

First Marriage

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves granted permission to marry, in the field, 10 August 1918. A most peculiar time, only two days after the start of the Battle of Amiens, when the CWRO photography team very active. No record of the marriage in Britain, presumed Percy had married a local French woman, and that she had died sometime before 1920.

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
MIKAN No. 3396774

While living with Cpl Reeves in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise on 8 September 1918, Louise Marie took ill and was admitted to No. 12 Canadian Field Ambulance (CFA) in Bethune, route de Frévent, where she died the following day at 11 am. At this time, the war diary of No. 12 CFA notes several of the locals having been admitted due to influenza. The death certificate also signed by the mayor’s assistant Edmond Edmont.

Funeral

A series of images captured in October 1918 of the “Funeral of a French wife of a Canadian soldier”. The town quickly identified as Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise, France. The coincidences indicate this was the funeral of the first wife of Corporal Percy Harper Reeves, Louise Marie Pecqueur of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.

  • 3394974
  • 3394975
  • 3394967
  • 3394976

Reeves SoS to the Canadian Record List on 16 February 1919. He returned to Canada on 26 April 1919. Reeves discharged on 8 May 1919 at Military District No. 10.

Mystery

A CEFRG social media post on 12 March 2024 quickly unraveled the mystery of the unidentified soldier and his wife with help from Zélie Duffroy of Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.

Serendipity

Within one hour of the first post, the author identified the precise location of the images. Having recently read an article from 2017 in the Maple Leaf by Rod Henderson, and learning of the marriage of Reeves in 1920, the author reopened the article to discover he had married in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.

MIKAN No. 3522362
Rod Henderson determined this is l/Cpl James Smart, winner of the light heavyweight division. A Corporal of the 25th Battalion, winner of the Canadian Corps Light Heavy Weight Boxing Championship held at Corps Sports. The title provided is the official one from the 1926 Canadian Official War Photographs list. Unofficial sources mention that the soldier might be James Smart and that the championship was for wrestling. MIKAN No. 3522362

Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise

What if it was Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise? Upon posing the question, the author stunned – what if this was the first wife of Corporal Percy Reeves AND she was the sister of his second wife?

Initially unable to verify the locations in Google Earth in St. Pol, the names of two establishments in the images suddenly stood out. ‘ROMANCE LEDE’ search revealed nothing, but a hit scored with ‘BOCQUET-HANOT’.

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves

No doubt, this the corner of Rue d’Arras and rue du Cimetiere in Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise. Instantly, the village, and exact location of the images known.

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
MIKAN No. 3394975

The guess that Reeves had married the sister of his second wife also surmised by Zélie Duffroy within the hour of the initial post via a private message to CEFRG. As a resident of St.-Pol, Zélie promised to visit the local mairie, and return her findings the next day.

Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise Communal Cemetery

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise Communal Cemetery. Image courtesy Zélie Duffroy

Louise Marie Pecqueur

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
Grave of Louise Marie Pecqueur. Image courtesy Zélie Duffroy

Second Marriage

The 1920 US census found Percy living in Detroit with his brothers Wilfred (and wife) and Fred, working as an upholster at an auto factory. At the time of the census, listed as a widower. He applied for a passport that February to travel to France. 

Germaine Marie Louise Pecqueur

On 15 July 1920, in St-Pol-sur-Ternoise, Percy married sixteen-year-old Germaine Marie Louise Pecqueur, the sister of his deceased first wife. Born on 24 April 1904 in St Pol, Germaine the daughter of Louis Joseph Pequeur and Ursule Laure Delbarre.

Béatrice Louise Reeves

At 9 am on 23 January 1921, a child born to Percy Harper Reeves, 27 years of age, and his wife, Germaine Louise Pecqueur, 16 years of age in St. Pol.

Having given birth to daughter Béatrice Louise, the family returned to the United States in June of 1921, arriving in New York on the 10th aboard the Aquitania.

SS AQUITANIA Corporal Percy Harper Reeves
SS AQUITANIA

Along with his parents and some of his siblings, Percy, Germaine, and Beatrice made Dayton, Ohio their home. Over the years his occupation given as painter/decorator on various lists. He registered for the draft in 1942, and was a member of Stillwater Lodge No 616 F&AM, the Scottish Rite Valley of Dayton, and the Painters Union No 249.

Percy Harper Reeves died at home on 16 March 1964 in Dayton, Ohio.

At the time of his death survived by his wife Germaine, daughter Béatrice (Jack) Thompson, siblings Victoria (JP) Norton, Mary (Earl) Scarsdale, Larrett, all in Florida. Wilfred of Exeter, Ontario, Howard of West Carrollton, Ohio and Garnett of Dayton as well as two grandsons.

Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery

Predeceased by his brother Samuel Alfred Reeves in a motor cycle accident in 1926 and his parents Samuel (1952) and Eliza (1962).

Corporal Percy Harper Reeves

Germaine died on 11 July 1982 and interred with Percy and most of his birth family in the Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery in Dayton.

Gleaning

With all this information in mind, it would not be a stretch to suggest the women in these photos are the Pecquer sisters. Gleaning the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest.

"Très Bon Canadians, eh?" French gleaners talking to Canadians, 20 August 1917. MIKAN No. 3396759
“Très Bon Canadians, eh?” French gleaners talking to Canadians, 20 August 1917. MIKAN No. 3396759

Tres Bon Canadians, eh?

It would also not be a stretch to suggest the girl is Germaine Marie Louise Pecqueur.

Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. "is it a Boche?" August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider Rider's driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are "gleaning" a field. Gleaning is the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest. MIKAN No. 3396756
Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. “is it a Boche?” August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider Rider’s driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are “gleaning” a field. MIKAN No. 3396756

Romance

Finally, also in the realm of possibility – both of the Pecquer sisters very much in love with the dashing and charming assistant of Lt William Rider Rider (the photographer of these images).

Canadian & French gleaners interested in an aeroplane. "is it a Boche?" August, 1917. This photograph shows William Rider-Rider's driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are "gleaning" a field. Gleaning is the practice of salvaging left-over crops from a field after the commercial harvest.
This photograph shows William Rider-Rider’s driver, named Burstall, and his assistant, Cpl. Percy Reeves, posed interacting with female French farm workers, who are “gleaning” a field.

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