The Life of Reginald Groves.
(1896 – 1/10/1916)
Reginald
Groves was my Great Uncle. My
Grandmother Doris was his younger sister.
He
was born in April, May or June 1896 in Woolwich.
1901
census age 5, he is in hospital.
1911census
age 15, he is a shop assistant, in a picture framing shop.
At
that age he probably joins the local Territorials [TF].
20th
(County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Blackheath and Woolwich)
T.F.
Before
the war the family lived at 25 Lethbridge Road, Lewisham, SE13.
The
HQ of the 20th was at Holly Hedge House just a few streets away.
At
that time he would have been given a regimental number in the 900-1000 region.
He
would have signed up for 4 years [say 1911 to 1915].
In
1913, age 17, he is in the 20th London TF and is at the 5th London Brigade, summer
training camp in August at Arundel Park [see group photo].
5/3/1915,
the 1/20th is deployed to France as part of the 141st Brigade in the 47th [2nd London] Division.
June
1915, he is age 19, but was not sent to the front as he was not awarded the 1915
Star [medal] and may by then have finished his first 4 year term. He may have been allowed to leave, for a
short time [or not at all] and then re-joined or was recalled as his number [when
he went to France] was 4880. This is the
number on his medal card and that block of numbers was not issued until around
February 1916.
From his medal roll we know he was in France from 15/6/16 until 1/10/16 and that he had the rank of Private [Pte]. So he must have gone out as part of a draft of reinforcements. His younger brother Cyril went out to France 9 days later. This must have been very hard on the family.
From his medal roll we know he was in France from 15/6/16 until 1/10/16 and that he had the rank of Private [Pte]. So he must have gone out as part of a draft of reinforcements. His younger brother Cyril went out to France 9 days later. This must have been very hard on the family.
He must have joined the battalion at Vimy Ridge – the units of 47th Division were involved in frequent crater-fighting in this sector from April to July 1916, including the major German attack on 21 May.
 |
| The trenches at Vimy Ridge today. |
His brother Cyril, in the 2/20th moved into this area at the end of July and the 2 battalions were very close to each other for a few days.
In August the 47th division marched south to take part in the Somme offensive. Its first operation was the capture of High Wood on the opening day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette (15 September). 141 Brigade was given the task of seizing the wood itself, the 1/20th being in the second wave, joining a confused and desperate fight. Casualties were very heavy but, after a renewed bombardment, German troops began to surrender. By the afternoon, 141 Bde held the wood, but was so disorganised by the high number of casualties it had sustained, that it had been formed into a single, composite battalion. Work on establishing a new line beyond the wood was started by a mixed party under Capt H.S. Read of the 1/20th Bn.
From
the document recording his affects [he left after he was killed], he was in ‘C’
coy.
Whilst
in France he was promoted to Lance Corporal [L/Cpl] as by then he was quite an
experienced soldier. This may have also been a result of the high number of casualties sustained at the battle of High Wood.
He
spent just over 15 weeks in France.
1st
October 1916, age 20, he was killed in action during the attack on Eaucourt
L’Abbaye, part of the latter stages of the Battle of the Somme.
The Somme 1/10/1916.
He
is remembered at the Thiepval War Memorial, Somme, France.
Memorial
reference. Pier and Face 13C.
And
the memorial at The Ascension Church, Dartmouth Row, Lewisham.
The Church memorial.
Their Regimental badge.
Their 141st Brigade flash.
Their 47th Division Badge.
The battlefield today.
Thiepval Memorial.
His name on the Thiepval War Memorial.
His medal card.
 |
| His medal roll. |
List of his effects after he was killed.
The Groves Family.
To see the full list.
Poppies at the Tower of London 2014.
I applied for and had his name added to the Roll of Honour. His and his brother Cyril's names were read out on November 8th 2014, by Miss Diana Lees, Director of the Imperial War Museum. The Last Post was sounded by WO2 [Band Srgt Maj] Ralph Brill, Scots Guards.
To see the video.
They are numbers 52 and 54.
