James Robert Reeder

A Private with the 11th Battalion, James died on 27th of October 1918 aged 22.

James was born at Lound in 1896, a son of Henry William and Alice Maria Reeder. He was baptised at Saint John the Baptist Church, Lound, on 7 February 1897, and his family lived at Lound. In 1901 his family lived at 23 The Street, Lound. In 1911 their address was The Street, Lound, and James worked as a farm boy.

James enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 23469. He was posted to the 7th Battalion in France. James was wounded and his name appears in the official casualty list, the War Office Daily List, dated 22 December 1917. Once recovered he was posted to the 11th Battalion. 

On 27 October the battalion were ordered to advance and ascertain the enemy strength on the River Rhonelle and they found many of the enemy, particularly on the north bank. Enemy machine-gun fire caused many casualties. An enemy counter-attack had to be dealt with by British artillery support and there was heavy gas shelling during the night.     

James was killed during the attack. He was buried at Le Pauvret near the south bank of the River Rhonelle, south of Maresches, map reference 51.A.L.31.a.6.5. During battlefield clearance in 1920 James was exhumed and reburied at Fontaine-au-Bois, around ten miles further south. 

Note: medal related sources states that James served with the 12th Battalion. There is no tangible evidence for this and, based on the geographical references to where he was buried, he could not have been with the 12th battalion when he died.