Category Archives: Other Regiments

Frank Lloyd

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Other Regiments, Somme

Frank Lloyd
Private 28670
1st Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry
(formerly 8/11985 Devon Regiment)

It was not until the closing stages of writing the book “The School, the Master, the Boys and the V.C.” that evidence was found to suggest the identity of this soldier. The CWGC web site revealed many F. Lloyds but all lacked family details that would link them to Reading. However, some research carried out on the War Memorial tablet of St. Peter’s Church, Earley, revealed the name Frank Lloyd. Using the Soldiers Died in the Great War a Frank Lloyd, born in Basingstoke and enlisted in Reading was revealed.

More recently, in 2014, with access to Ancestry UK, it has been possible to obtain more information. Frank Lloyd was born 19 December 1899, the son of Frank and Harriet Lloyd. In 1901 the family lived at 24 Sun Street, Reading. Frank senior was a labourer at the biscuit factory. Frank had two sisters Leila aged 2, and Florence Moth, his stepsister aged 8. By 1911 the family had moved to Swansea Road. Frank now had two younger brothers Edgar and George and Florence was no longer living at home. Frank senior was now a labourer in a timber yard. No occupation was given for any of the children so it is assumed that both Leila and Frank at 12 and 11 years were still in school.

Ancestry UK also has military records for Frank Lloyd but although they are with entries for Frank Lloyd junior they are in fact his fathers pension records. Frank senior, attested 28 July 1915 aged 34 as a member of the Royal Berkshire Regiment. The family were then living at 59. Brighton Road. He was discharged as no longer fit for war service on 9 November 1917, he held the rank of sergeant. His papers reveal that daughter Leila was a cripple.  Frank’s military conduct and character were described as very good.

It is  not known when the family moved to Brighton Road but this would certainly have enabled Frank junior to attend the Wokingham Road School and for the family to have worshiped at St. Peter’s Church, Earley.

Frank Lloyd junior was killed in action on 17th October 1918 on the day when the British and American forces began a massive attack along the River Selle north of Le Cateau.  A CWGC search indicated that he was buried in the small Vaux-Andingy British Cemetery, Aisne, which holds sixty graves. The village, which lies between St. Quentin and Le Cateau, was captured in the attack. Originally the cemetery had also held German graves but these were later removed and thirty-five graves from the communal cemetery re-interred there after the Armistice. Frank Lloyd’s grave is located in Row C. 8

Horace Harding

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Other Regiments, Trinitiy Congregational Church War Memorial

Horace Harding
Private 19963
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers

 

Horace was killed in action on 25 October 1916 and he was buried at Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, location I.C.6. This cemetery was a frontline burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July. The whole of Plot I represents the original cemetery. After the Armistice graves were brought to the cemetery from outlying areas.

The notification of Horace’s death was published in the Reading Standard on 2 December 1916 but no family details were given.

Initially, it was quite difficult to identify the H. Harding named on the Alfred Sutton War Memorial. CWGC records showed over sixty men named H. Harding but many lacked the personal details that would link an individual to Reading. However, an article about the unveiling of the Trinity Congregational Church War Memorial in the Reading Standard revealed the name of Horace Harding along with a number of the other Boys who attended the church. Yet again Soldiers Died was invaluable and a search indicated that Horace was a private, with the 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.

Accessto Ancesty UK revealed that Horace was the son of George and Annie Harding of 88. Amity Road, Reading. His year of birth was given as 1897. He was 13 in 1911 and no occupation is given so it is assumed that like his younger sister that he was still in school. George Harding and Horace’s older sister and brother all worked at the biscuit factory.  Details of his attestion reveal that he was a shop assistant when he attested in August 1915, his age is given as 18years and 8 months. He probably lied about his age when he attested. No picture has been found of Horace but the military record states that he was fair haired with blue eyes, 5ft 2inches tall and weighing 116lbs.

 

James Albert Forrest

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Army, Other Regiments

James Albert Forrest
Private G/51202
20th Battalion Middlesex Regiment

Forrest James

James Albert Forrest was the eldest son of Mr John Alfred J. and Mrs Annie S. A. Forrest, 85. Albert Road, Reading. The 1911 census has the family living at 80. Rupert Street, Reading. James was the eldest son and he had six younger siblings, his brothers would have been too young to serve in the war.  In 1911 at the age of 13 years James was recorded as being a hairdressers apprentice. His father, James had a hairdressers business. However, an obituary to James Forrest stated that he was apprenticed to Mr Walter Thomson as a hairdresser prior to enlisting. Walter Thomson was the father of Leslie Thomson whose details can also be found on this website. James was educated at both Newtown and Wokingham Road Schools. He  had enlisted during the summer of 1916 and had served in the army for 17 months; he went to France in January 1917.

James was aged 20 when he was killed on the 23 or 24 November 1917. On this day there was severe fighting around Bourlon Wood as the British pressed home the attack. James Forrest has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial, Louverval, Panel 9. The memorial commemorates all those lost in the Battle of Cambrai from 20 November 1917 to 3 December 1917.