No.5824501, Private, Frank William REEMAN
Aged 30
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Frank William Reeman was born in Woodditton (2nd qtr 1910 Newmarket 3b:460), son of Harry William and Deborah Lavinia REEMAN (née READ ).
1911 census...Aged 1, he was at Ditton Green with his father Harry William REEMAN [20-9-1883] cowman born Welnetham; his mother Lavinia Deborah [23-9-1884] born Old Newton; brother Sidney Donald [2] born Woodditton. In the 1939 register his parents were at Stow Lane, Ixworth with his brothers Harold G [28-10-1913] and Arthur (T.J.) [8-2-1916] |
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30th May...1st Suffolks reached their rendezvous point, the Furnes Canal, but with heavy casualties of over 200 men, wounded, missing or
killed. In a massive traffic jam of 2 miles long they were easy pickings for the Luftwaffe. That traffic jam was caused by the demolition of a
bridge that the Allies were using and a pontoon bridge had to be erected. They were ordered to relieve another battalion overlooking the
river. 31st May...Heavy shelling caused more casualties and the order was given to withdraw to La Panne beach , near Dunkirk. The men were told to leave anything they couldn't carry. La Panne, and the road leading into it, were constantly shelled, abandoned vehicles littered the road and ammunition was exploding everywhere. The Embarkation Staff had all been killed or wounded, but the embarkation was still proceeding and thousands of men formed orderly queues into the water and waited for the boats to take them back to Britain. 1st June... The Suffolks set off along the sand to Dunkirk for an alternative embarkation point. Survivors who reached Dunkirk boarded the "Ben Macree" and returned to Britain. It was sometime in this period that Frank went missing.
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