Reginald Arthur Lord

A Private with 4th Bn., Reginald died on 15th of February 1942 at the age of 24. 

Reginald was born at Lowestoft on 20 November 1917 a son of Reginald and Ella May Lord. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 19 February 1918. At that time his father was in the Army and the family home was at 24 May Road. In 1934 Reginald became a postman-messenger for the Post Office at Lowestoft. 

In 1939 Reginald married Kathleen Gertrude Pennell at Lowestoft. Their home was at 33 Cleveland Road, Lowestoft. 

In autumn 1939 the 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment was on guard duty in the Lowestoft area and from July to September 1940 had various local deployments, including guarding Great Yarmouth. The Battalion then moved to Bedfordshire and then Scotland until April 1941. Next the Battalion moved to Bury, Lancashire, and Hereford, before embarking on the S.S. Andes at Liverpool and sailing for Halifax, Nov Scotia. The Battalion changed ship, to the American liner Wakefield, and sailed for Trinidad and then Cape Town, arriving on 9 December 1941. The Battalion was given three days shore leave.

The Battalion was part of 54 Brigade in the 18th (East Anglian) Division. 

With the Japanese entry into the war the Battalion was now allocated to the Far East and sailed for India, arriving on 5 January 1942. The Battalion had three weeks of training before embarking at Bombay and sailing for Singapore, arriving on 29 January 1942. The Battalion had orders to defend the Golf Course and then fell back to defend the perimeter before the Singapore garrison was forced to surrender on 15 February 1942. 

Ninety men of the Battalion were killed, or died of wounds, in the defence of Singapore and 865 were taken prisoner.      

Reginald was reported as missing on 15 February 1942 and later was presumed to have been killed in action on 15 February 1942 (date from British Army Casualty List 1913 dated 17 November 1945). Records show that Reginald was buried, by Reverend Cordingley, in the 'garden of a burnt out house - Mount Pleasant Road - map reference 830142 (as was Leonard Smith, also from Lowestoft). In June 1948 his body was exhumed and reburied at Kranji War Cemetery.

Reginald's name is recorded in the General Post Office Memorial Book. See GPO War Heroes