REEMAN, William Harry


No.43204, Private, William Harry REEMAN
Aged 25


2nd Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
formerly 43204, 7th Bn., Suffolk Regiment
formerly 2363, 4th Bn., Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action on Monday 18th June 1917


Born in 1893 (1st qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:793) son of John William and Jane Elizabeth REEMAN (née STOCKING)

1901 census...Aged 8, he was at 36 Out Westgate, Bury St.Edmunds with his father William John REEMAN [40] printer's machine minder; his mother Jane Elizabeth [38] born Harkstow, Lincolnshire; sisters Eleanor Margaret [14], Lily Rachel [12], Doris May [1] Rose Olive [4 months]; brothers John Thomas Birrell [10],Harold Barrington [6] and Edwin Milthorpe [4]. All except his mother were born in Bury St.Edmunds

1911 census...Aged 18, a grocer's assistant, he was at 38 Cemetery Road, Bury St.Edmunds with his parents;sisters Lily Rachel, Doris may, Olive Rose [9] and Phylis Alexandria [8]; brothers John Thomas (milkman), Harold Barrington (grocer's porter), and Edwin Milthorpe (painter).

The family address on the pension card is 38 King's Road, Bury St.Edmunds.

His brother Edwin was killed in Gallipoli in 1915 see here
and brother Harold died of TB in 1920 see here


He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds

From Lt.Col. Murphy's book "The History of the Suffolk Regiment" :- The Battalion were in trenches near Monchy-le-Preux. ON 14th June at 7:30 am they launched an attack on INFANTRY Hill and within an hour had captured HOOK Trench and an hour later had taken the remainder of the trench system on the hill. After a certain slackening in the situation the enemy counter-attacked at about 5 in the evening., the garrisons of HOOK, TOOL and LONG trenches being subjected to a violent bombardment. The Germans succeeded in getting almost up to the parapet of HOOK before being finally checked. In helping to repel this counter-attack the 529th Company, Royal Engineers lost half their strength.
Day broke, enabling great losses to be inflicted on the Germans as they fled from one shell hole to another.

The casualties in the Battalion between 13th and 18th June amounted to 250.





photo C.W.G.C.


William Reeman is commemorated on the Arras Memorial, Faubourg d'Amiens bay 4

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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