Mackness, CP

2nd Lieutenant Claud Percy Mackness

Claud was born on August 11^th 1887, in Edmonton, North London, the son of warehouseman Ernest Mackness and his wife, Hannah. He came to the College in May 1902 at the same time as his twin brother, Douglas, and was at Dulwich for the next two and a half years, leaving at Christmas 1904 whilst in the Modern Lower Fifth. Having finished school, he went to the Royal College of Music in South Kensington, where he trained for several years. He went on to hold the position of organist and choir master at St. Anne’s, Limehouse, and later at St. Luke’s in Whyteleafe, Surrey.

Already a reservist in the London Scottish when war was declared, Claud was called up for full service immediately, going over to the continent with the 1^st Battalion of his regiment in September 1914. He was invalided home after being wounded at Festubert the following May, and during his period back in Britain took up a commission in the Gordon Highlanders. He returned to France with his new unit in May 1916, and shortly afterwards was attached to the 154^th Trench Mortar Battery. He spent time on the Somme, before being seriously wounded at Armentieres on September 7^th, hit in the chest by a piece of shrapnel whilst he slept. He was once more invalided back to England, and placed in a convalescent home in Christchurch, Dorset. Having never truly recovered from his injury, he passed away there on December 16^th 1917, at the age of 30.