Lieut.-Colonel Charles Percy Wentworth HARGREAVES, M.C.

Commanded the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment from November 1940 to May 1943.

Colonel Hargreaves was commissioned to The Worcestershire Regiment from R.M.C. Sandhurst 17th March, 1915, and joined the 5th (Special Reserve) Battalion at Fort Tregantle, Cornwall.

He joined the 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment with the B.E.F. at Ypres in August, 1915, and served with them until being evacuated sick in May, 1916. In February, 1917, he rejoined the Battalion and was appointed Adjutant in June, 1917, and after the war returned with the cadre of the Battalion in March, 1919. He was awarded the M.C. on the Somme in 1918 and twice mentioned in despatches.

He moved with the Battalion to Dublin in November 1919, and returned to the U.K. in January, 1920, only to move again with the Battalion to India the following month. He was promoted Captain in March, 1921, and relinquished the appointment of Adjutant in May that year.

In July 1922, he married Joan Coward, daughter of the late Mr. H. E. Holford and Mrs. Holford, of Broxbourne, Herts.

On the disbandment of the 3rd Battalion he was posted to the 1st Battalion in India and served with them until posted to The Depot for a tour of duty from November 1926, until returning to the 1st Battalion at Allahabad in January 1929. He moved to Shanghai with the Battalion in November 1929, and from there returned with the Battalion to Plymouth in 1931, when he took over command of the Machine Gun Company. From 1933 to 1934 he was B.M.G.O. and Garrison Adjutant, Plymouth.

Lieut.-Col. P. W. Hargreaves
(known as "Pip")

In March, 1935, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment and joined them in Tientsin and took over command of the Machine Gun Company. He was promoted Major in November, 1935. Whilst in China he captained the Machine Gun team and won the Machine Gun Cup, A.R.A. non-central match, believed to be the only time this cup has been won by a Battalion of the Regiment.

In 1936 the 2nd Battalion moved to India and was stationed at Sialkot in the Punjaub.

As a Major he served with the 2nd Battalion on the North-West Frontier, 1940-41, and was appointed to command the Battalion, 17th November 1940, and promoted acting Lieut.-Colonel. In October 1941, the Battalion moved to Wellington and in August 1942, joined the 19th Indian Division—the Division with which the Battalion later served with such distinction in Burma. He was promoted substantive Lieut.-Colonel, 1st August 1942, and in May 1943, relinquished command of the 2nd Battalion on account of age and returned to the United Kingdom.

Colonel Hargreaves commanded 105 Corps Reception Camp from 1st August 1943, till 10th December 1944, landing in Normandy with this unit on 8th June 1944. He was posted to S.H.A.E.F. in March 1945, and did duty in Germany and Austria from April to June of that year in connection with repatriation of Allied Prisoners of War.

Colonel Hargreaves was appointed to command of 141 Italian Labour Battalion at St. Neots in September 1945.

Colonel Hargreaves retired from the Army in November 1947. Following his retirement from the Army he played an active role in the affairs of WRA and was for many years a Vice President of the Association.

Colonel Hargreaves died at his home at Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire on 5th June 1983, aged 87.

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