No.40599, Private, Reginald ANDREWS
Aged 20
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Reginald John O. ANDREWS was born in Haverhill on 28th October 1898 at 28 Mill Road, Haverhill (Risbridge Q4-1898 4A:775) son of Sarah Ann ANDREWS. He
was baptised in St.Mary's, Haverhill on 24th December 1898. On his Army enlistment forms he seems have given himself an extra year by
recording his date of birth as 28th September 1897
His mother, born in Helions Bumpstead in 1871, was the daughter of Charles (farm labourer) and Emma (jacket hand finisher) 1901 census... Aged 2. he was at 112 Burton End, Haverhill with his mother Sarah Andrews [30], single, (jacket finisher) born Helions Bumpstead; his uncles William ANDREWS [21] farm labourer, and Charles [9] both born Helions Bumpstead; visitor William Osborne [35] house painter born Haverhill. Sarah had another son, Bernard, before, on January 2nd 1904, she married Walter JOBSON, a farm labourer. While living at 8 Clements Lane in 1907 they had a daughter, Ada Emma.. 1911 census...Aged 12, he was at 8 Clements Lane, Haverhill with his step father Walter JOBSON [33] farm labourer born Haverhill; his mother and half sister Ada JOBSON [3] born Haverhill. The pension card (May 1919) has his mother living at 11 Clements Lane, Haverhill Despite the surnames, it does not appear that there was a close link with the previous man, Ernest Andrews. |
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He enlisted in Haverhill. His Army service record (part of the "burnt documents") has suffered from water damage but is quite extensive.
Hopefully my reading of it is accurate. He never seemed to accept the need for the discipline, time keeping etc required by the Army as many
pages of disciplinary actions show. Even a better time piece and a diary would seemingly have had no affect on him.
He enlisted in Haverhill on 22nd October 1915, giving his date of birth as 28th September 1897, a farm labourer, born and resident in Haverhill. He was 5 feet 5 inches (165.1 cm)tall, weighed 136 lbs (61.9 kg), chest 32.5" to 37.5" (82.6 to 95.3 cm), blue eyes, light brown hair, Church of England. No convictions but he had attended a reformatory school for non-attendance at school. His next of kin was mother Sarah Jobson of 11 Clements Lane, Haverhill. 25 Oct.1915 he was posted to 3rd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, based mainly at Felixstowe. 6th June 1917 embarked at Folkestone for posting to British Expeditionary Force and 15th Bn Base Depot, before being posted to the 12th Battalion. 29tyh June he was posted to the Northamptonshire Regiment, joining them in the field on 1st July 1917. only to be wounded in the legs and side on 1st August 1917. Evacuated to UK on 4th July he was eventually released for duty on 11th September at Chatham. Embarked for France again , Folkestone to Boulogne on 26th October, proceeding to Base Depot at Calais before joining his battalion in the field on 1st November 1917. 16th November admitted to 107 Field Ambulance with Eczema, he then was admitted to 63 Casualty Clearing Station on 6th December with P.U.O. (Pyrexia Unknown Origin-being Army speak for don't know what it is). This resulted in another evacuation to UK via 2 Australian Hospital Wimereux and Hospital Ship 'Jan Breydel' from Boulogne on 11th December. Discharged to 3rd Battalion for duty on 21st January 1918 and was not back in the field with them until 19th March 1918. on 1st July 1918 he was again struck by P.U.O. at 141 Field Ambulance but this time returned to duty almost immediately. On 21st July he reported to 141 Field Ambulance with Dermatitis to legs (probably a form of trench feet) and was passed to 4 General Hospital, Camiers, on 30th and 25 General Hospital on 13th August before discharge to Depot at Calais on 26th August and returning to battalion (by now the 1st battalion) on 7th September. He was wounded in action on 4th November and died later that day at 2 Field Ambulance.. When his mother completed the "Living Relatives form for the Army in April 19 there were just herself and his half sister Ada, at 11 Clements Lane, Haverhill The 1st Northants were pushing forward from Mazinghien, achieving all their objectives and by 4:30 pm had crossed the canal and the river le Sambre and cleared the village of FESMY-le-SART with the loss of 11 men killed.
photo: Rodney Gibson click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
