Contents and Arrangement Collection View
Description:

Petch's manuscript, which he authored upon his return to Enlgand, covers the years 1917 to 1919, and describes his experiences along the Macedonian Front. In the manuscript, Petch includes a fair amount of ethnographic observations and a description of his journey from England to Greece, along with observations about the hardships imposed by the war, and the awkward integration of multiple nationalities trying to survive economically, physically, and psychologically. Perhaps most significant, in terms of historic events in Thessaloniki, is a chapter entitled "Flames Destroy," which describes the devastating Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917.

Description:

39 pages of clipped and pasted illustrations, seemingly from a scrapbook, mostly in the form of on-the-spot newsprint photographic views as well as a few small original photographs taken by the writer and one example of local paper currency.

Description:

2 pages outlining Petch's personal timeline of movements.

Description:

Brassard, armlet with the rare clear issue-stamping Red Crown emblem.

Description:

One poem by Petch is entitled, "Somewhere in France;" the other, "Inadequate Tribute to My Beloved Mother (Mrs. Fanny Annie Petch, nee Colsey)."

Description:

Includes part of a program and photograph of Petch as well as lyrics to the song, "The Cabman's Story."

Description:

Most of the items relate to Petch's military service, including a couple of photos of Petch in his uniform, an unused field message book (Army Book 153) issued in 1915, and a notification of his enrollment into the army reserve, among other items.

Description:

Includes photos of Percival Petch and of his mother and father. Ephemeral items, including a couple of food ration books, relate to Mr. and Mrs. S. Hassall.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of an unpublished manuscript along with photographic clippings and original photographs documenting the experiences of Percival William Petch (1886-1940), a Derby Scheme volunteer with the British Army who was stationed in Thessaloniki (Salonika) during World War I. Also included are a couple of poems by Petch as well as some ephemera and war memorabilia, including a Derby Scheme uniform armband.

Some correspondence, war memorabilia, ephemera, and photographs relating to Petch's brother, Eric George Petch (1892-1965), are also included in the collection. Eric Petch, a druggist, also served in World War I as a private with the British Army Labour Corps. He later worked for the Refuge Field Staff Association.

A few Petch family photographs and ephemera are also included.

Collection Creator Biography:

Petch, Percival William, 1886-1940

Percival William Petch served with the British Royal Army as a Derby Scheme volunteer from 1916 to 1919. After being rejected from serving twice, Petch was recruited into the army in March 1916, and arrived in Thessaloniki in November 1917. From September 1918 until his discharge in December 1919, Petch was confined to several hospitals and camps in Greece, Turkey, and finally England where he was treated for various illnesses, including malaria. He was ultimately promoted to Corporal in March 1919.

Born in 1886 in Worcestershire to John Robert Petch (b. 1862) and Fanny Annie Colsey (1862-1937), Petch worked for a time as a clerk, and later as a performer and comedian. He died in Lancashire in 1940.

Acquisition:

Purchased in 2017 . (AM 2018-34)

Acquired with matching funds provided by the Program in Hellenic Studies, with support of the Stanley J. Seeger Hellenic Fund.

Appraisal

No materials were separated during 2018 processing.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Faith Charlton in January 2018. Finding aid written by Faith Charlton in January 2018.

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Percival W. Petch Papers; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/b2773z976
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • Firestone Library (scamss): Box B-001177