Reginald James Brown

A Private with the 8th Battalion, Reginald died on 26th of September 1916 at the age of 19. 

Reginald was born at Lowestoft on 9 July 1897, a son of George and Martha Ann Elizabeth Brown. He was baptised at Saint John’s Church on 7 November 1897, and his family lived at 3 Till Road. In 1901 his family lived at 5 Till Road. Reginald was a pupil at Roman Hill School before, from 8 January 1906, becoming a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. By 1911 Reginald’s father had died and his mother had married James Russell and they lived at Gertrude Place, 28 Till Road, and Reginald worked as an errand boy for Lawrence’s Pop Manufacturer. Later his family lived at 23 Seago Street. 

Reginald volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft in 1914. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 13951. Reginald arrived in France with the 8th Battalion on 27 July 1915. 

From 24 September 1916 the 8th Battalion were involved in a Brigade attack intending to drive the enemy off of the Thiepval Spur. The first objective was the Schwaben Trench, the second objective the Zollern Trench, and, the ultimate goal was the Schwaben Redoubt and Midway Line. 

The battalion moved into position on the 24th and the attack commenced at 12.35 p.m. on the 26th and as soon as the bombardment of the enemy positions commenced the battalion moved off. Within six minutes Joseph Trench had been captured along with a large number of prisoners. Around ten minutes later the first objective had been taken and, within an hour and following the barrage closely, they had taken their second objective. At 2.14 p.m. the advance resumed and at this point they encountered heavy resistance and machine-gun fire from both flanks. By midnight consolidation of the Zollern trench was completed and string points created. The attack was resumed on 28 September. 

The battalion’s casualties from 24 to 29 September were:

Officers: three killed, four wounded
Other ranks: 25 killed, 161 wounded, 15 missing

Reginald was killed in action on 26 September.