Percy Bentley MC & Three Bars (18 January 1891 – 8 July 1956) was an officer in the British Army in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He was one of four soldiers to be awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries. The MC i ...

four times, all in the First World War.

Early life

Bentley was born in

Knottingley Knottingley is a market town in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England on the River Aire and the old A1 road (Great Britain), A1 road before it was bypassed as the A1(M). Historic counties of England, Historically part of the West Ridi ...

, Yorkshire, where his family were auctioneers and valuers and involved with local politics. He was educated at

The King's School, Pontefract The King's School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It is one of the four oldest schools in Yorkshire, dating from 1139 and was refounded by King Edward VI in 1548. Histor ...

and then

Sedbergh School Sedbergh School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the town of Sedbergh in Cumbria, in North West England. It comprises a junior school for children aged 4 to 13 and the main school for 13 to 18 year olds. It w ...

, where he joined the

Officer Training Corps The Officers' Training Corps (OTC), more fully called the University Officers' Training Corps (UOTC), are military leadership training units operated by the British Army. Their focus is to develop the leadership abilities of their members whilst ...

. He was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in the Territorial Army in October 1910, joining the 5th Battalion of the

King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry The King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) was a light infantry regiment of the British Army. It officially existed from 1881 to 1968, but its predecessors go back to 1755. In 1968, the regiment was amalgamated with the Somerset and Cornwall ...

(KOYLI), and was promoted to lieutenant in May 1914.

First World War

Following the outbreak of the First World War, he was sent to France with his battalion in April 1915, in the 148th (3rd West Riding) Brigade of the

49th (West Riding) Infantry Division The 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division was an infantry division of the British Army. The division fought in the First World War in the trenches of the Western Front, in the fields of France and Flanders. During the Second World War, the divis ...

. His battalion was moved to the

187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade The 187th (2/3rd West Riding) Brigade was a formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army. It was assigned to the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division and served on the Western Front during the First World War. Formation * 2/4th Battalion, Ki ...

of the 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division in February 1918. He served as the battalion adjutant from 1915 to 1919, and was promoted to the rank of temporary captain in June 1915 and then substantive captain in June 1916. He was wounded in 1915, and then suffered from

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

in late 1916, was wounded by a shell at Passchendale in 1917, and suffered from colitis in 1918. He was awarded the

(MC) on four occasions. He was awarded his first MC in December 1916, was awarded a first

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

in September 1918, a second Bar in November 1918, and a third Bar in January 1919 for his actions at the Battle of Havrincourt in September 1918.The London Gazette, 31 January 1919, Issue 31158, Page 1617
/ref> Two other officers received their third Bar in the same January 1919 edition of the London Gazette,

Humphrey Arthur Gilkes Humphrey Arthur Gilkes MC & Three Bars (13 October 1895 – 11 July 1945) was a British soldier and medical doctor. He is one of four soldiers to have been awarded the Military Cross four times, all in the First World War. He was a medical offi ...

and

Charles Gordon Timms Charles Gordon Timms & Three Bars (1884–1958) was a doctor, decorated officer in the British Army, and rugby union player who played for the Lions.Bath, p117 He was one of the minority of rugby players who was never capped for a home nation t ...

, emulating

Francis Victor Wallington Francis Victor Wallington MC & Three Bars (16 October 1891 – 15 February 1971) was a decorated British Army officer. He was the first of four soldiers to be awarded the Military Cross four times, all in the First World War. Military career W ...

whose third Bar was gazetted on 13 September 1918. His brother Captain Will Bentley and his cousin Lieutenant Henry Bentley also served with the KOYLI during the war.

Later life

He married Francis Ann Poskitt in 1917. She was the sister of the Roman Catholic priest

Henry Poskitt Henry John Poskitt (6 September 1888 – 19 February 1950) was an English prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the fourth Bishop of Leeds. Life and ministry Poskitt was born in the village of Birkin in the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

, later Bishop of Leeds. He resigned his commission in 1922 and returned to Bentley, leaving the army in order to join the family business. He commanded the guard of honour at the British Legion Conference held at

Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to: People * Scarborough (surname) * Earl of Scarbrough Places Australia * Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth * Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong * Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...

in 1928. He was elected to serve as a Conservative representative on the Pontefract Borough Council from 1922 to 1945, and then from 1946 to 1949. He also served on the West Riding County Council, as an Alderman from 1933 to 1939. He was Mayor of Pontefract in 1930–31. His wife died in 1955, and Bentley died at home the following year. He was survived by a son and three daughters.

References

A very gallant gentleman, Captain Percy Bentley
Knottingley and Ferrybridge Local History
For conspicuous gallantry: winners of the Military Cross and bar during the Great War
Scott Addington, p. 347-348 {{DEFAULTSORT:Bentley, Percy 1891 births 1956 deaths British Army personnel of World War I King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry officers People from Knottingley Recipients of the Military Cross Military personnel from Yorkshire