No.G/40920, Private, Reginald William PECK
Aged 20
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Reginald William PECK was born at 38 Hamlet Road, Haverhill on 26th July 1897 (Risbridge Q3-1897 4A:765), baptised in St Mary's, Haverhill
on 9th September 1897, son of Albert Joshua and Eliza PECK (née SPARKS)
1901 census...Aged 3, he was at 2 The Pightle, Haverhill with his father Albert J PECK [40] insurance agent; his mother Eliza [41]; sister Edith E [11] and brother Clifford A. [7]. All were born in Haverhill. 1911 census...Aged 13, he was still at 2 The Pightle with his parents; brother Clifford (grocer's assistant) and a boarder Ellen EDMUNDS [24] a school teacher born Ditchingham, Norfolk. |
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The South West Suffolk Echo, reporting on 4th May 1917:- "Mr.andMrs. A.J.Peck of 2, The Pightle, Haverhill were notified by telegram on Thursday that their son,Pte R.W.Peck of the Middlesex Regt., had landed in England, suffering from wounds to the jaw and hand." On 27th October 1917, the same paper reported:- " Mr. and Mrs. A.J.Peck, of 2 The Pightle, Haverhill, have been officially notified of the death of their youngest son, Pte R.W.Peck, No. 40920, Middlesex Regt.,he having been killed in action in France on September 22nd. Pte Peck who was twenty years of age, joined up in May 1916, in the Royal West Kents. After being in France a few weeks he was transferred to the Middlesex Regt., and after being in action for seven months he was wounded at the battle of Arras on April 23rd 1917, coming to Lakenham Military Hospital, Norwich. He went out for a second time on July 24th, and was only out ten weeks when he was killed instantly by a sniper whilst acting as a stretcher bearer and carrying the wounded. prior to enlistment he was employed at Cambridge Post Office. For three years he was a messenger lad at Haverhill Post Office. He was a member of the Parish Church choir and the Church Lads Brigade. Mr.and Mrs.Peck's eldest son is in hospital in Malta, suffering from malaria fever and dysentery." He enlisted in Cambridge 23rd Battalion,Middlesex Regiment were known as the 2nd Footballers Battalion. They formed part of 123rd Brigade, 41st Division. After some intense shelling on the 21st the battalion were hanging on, little movement, in the Basseville Beek valley. The war diary is very brief:- "22nd/23rd - Positions shelled by 5.9s. Enemy snipers kept in check. 1 officer killed by rifle fire." CWGC state that 12 of the 23rd Battalion were killed on 22nd, only one with a known grave.(and no officer ?) |
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