Allport, Percy

Percy Allport was born on 14 December 1887 in Castleford, Yorkshire, United Kingdom, the second of four children. He emigrated with his wife Ethel (née Waddington) and two sons to Nova Scotia in December 1905, where his daughter was born. By 1911 he was living with his wife and three children in Milton, Halton County, Ontario, working as a bricklayer.

After joining the 164th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Halton & Dufferin) in Milton on 27 January 1916, he shipped overseas from Halifax on 10 April 1917 aboard the SS Carpathia, arriving in the United Kingdom 12 days later. In May of the same year he was promoted to Corporal. Shortly after he contracted bowel problems which necessitated surgery and convalescence until September of that year, which resulted in some subsequent complications. On 4 April 1918 he shipped over to France to join the 2nd Canadian Infantry Battalion (Eastern Ontario) after reverting in rank to Private on his own request. Within a few weeks however, he was found to have defective vision and was assigned labour duties with the Canadian Engineers. Complication from his previous surgery resulted in further treatment in Canadian and British Field hospitals in Trouville and Rouen until October 1918. He was then discharged as fit for rear area duties and assigned to the Canadian Labour Pool and the 9th Canadian Area Employment Company of the Canadian Engineers. On 19 January 1919 he was transferred back to the United Kingdom, to the Canadian dispersal camp at Whitley, in preparation for repatriation. In March he was shipped out to Canada and was discharged from the Canadian Expeditionary Force in Hamilton on 30 March 1919.

By 1921 he was living in Etobicoke, still with his wife and three children, working as a mason. He died in 1962 and is buried with his wife in the Evergreen Cemetery of the Milton Halton Regional Municipality.