Percy Ware, known as “Will” in his family, was born on 15 May 1887 at Brill, Buckinghamshire, the third of six children of Police Constable James Ware, and his wife Mary Ann (née Cousins). The family moved around the county with their father’s job and eventually settled at Padbury, where their father died in 1906 soon after his retirement.

Percy joined the Royal Navy in the Stokers’ training ship at the Nore, HMS ACHERON,  on 24 November 1905.  Subsequent surface ship drafts were to the cruiser HMS TOPAZE where he was advanced to Stoker 1st Class in February 1907, the destroyer depot ship HMS BLENHEIM from September 1909 to October 1911, and the pre-dreadnought battleship HMS GLORY. 

In February 1912 he was drafted to the submarine depot ship HMS VULCAN.  His service record shows that he was alternately on the books of HMS VULCAN and HMS ALECTO until March 1914 and was then transferred to HMS BONAVENTURE.  Newspaper accounts of his death report that he had served in HMS C13 for three and a half years. After July 1914, C7 to C13 were employed in the Sixth Submarine Flotilla, hosted in HMS BONAVENTURE, and tasked with defence of the East Coast. In April 1915 he was advanced to Acting Leading Stoker.

Contemporary newspaper reports say that Percy Ware was taken ill whilst in HMS C13 and was brought to Middlesbrough where he died of heart failure. His service record notes that he died in his sleep on 21 August 1915.

One of Percy’s brothers, John Thomas (“Jack”), served as a Petty Officer in HMS QUEEN during WW1 and was subsequently promoted to Gunner (T).

Percy Ware left a widow, Louisa Annie (née Bailey), whom he had married at Medway in 1910, and a daughter Louisa M, born in 1911.

Percy Ware was buried at Padbury (St Mary) Churchyard, Buckinghamshire.