Bertram James Reeves (or ‘Bertie’ as he was known) was born on 11 November 1898, south of Canterbury in Upper Hardres, the son of Mark Marshall Reeves and his wife, Eleanor (née Thomsett.) Bertie’s father was a farm worker, and he had two older siblings; however, they both sadly died in infancy. By 1901, the family had moved west and were living in Bapchild and then at Old Soar Cottages in Plaxtol ten years later, where young Bertie attended school.

At the time the war broke out in August 1914, Bertie lived with his family in Upper Platt. Based on the amount of war gratuity awarded after his death, it appears he enlisted in the Army at Maidstone around February 1917 and joined the Royal Army Service Corps but immediately transferred to the 85th Training Reserve Battalion at Sutton-on-Hull. On 8 December 1917 Bertie was posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Durham Light Infantry and remained with them until 28 February 1918 when he embarked in Folkestone for Boulogne. Before he left in October 1917, Bertie became father to an illegitimate son named Bertie Charles Reeves with May Andrews, a domestic servant living at Railway Cottages in Wrotham Heath. May’s father, Richard, had been killed at the Somme the previous year, and she lived with her mother, who helped look after the child.

On arrival in France, Bertie was assigned to the 11th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) Durham Light Infantry; however, within days, he was transferred with a draft of 58 other men to the 12th (Service) Battalion (Teesside Pioneers) Alexandra, Princess of Wales’s Own (Yorkshire Regiment.) The Yorkshires were based at Bellacourt when Bertie and 112 other men joined them in the field four days later. On 21 March, the battalion was training at No.4 Camp in Hendecourt when they moved to trenches in front of the village of Hamlincourt on short notice. The Germans had commenced what would become known as the ‘Spring Offensive’ with British units swiftly brought forward to hold the Allied positions and plug any gaps in the line.

Bertie’s first experience of an enemy attack occurred on 25 March while in trenches along the Ervillers – Béhagnies road. Significant numbers of Germans attacked at 9:00 pm, forcing the 12th Yorkshires to retire to a position in front of Courcelles-le-Comte. The following day the battalion concentrated at Douchy-les-Ayette before marching on to Bienvillers-au-Bois and then on to the village of Beaudricourt, where they billeted until the 30th.

At about 4:00 am on 9 April, while billeted at Bac St Maur, a German artillery bombardment on the battalion’s position caused them to ‘stand to’ in preparation for an attack. By late morning, all companies had been brought up to reinforce the line with one, ‘X’ Coy, engaging the enemy at Balette Farm, where they were overwhelmed and forced to fight a rear-guard action. Regrettably, we do not know which company Bertie belonged to and therefore cannot say precisely where he was in this period. Enemy encounters were intense over the following days, often involving fighting at close quarters. The Germans had broken through to the Lys on the border between Belgium and France, and the battalion was continuously on the move, taking up successive defensive positions to close gaps and slow the offensive. At some point in the fighting, Bertie was wounded and eventually died on 19 April of his injuries.

At the start of April, battalion strength had been 40 officers and 847 other ranks; however, by the end, they numbered 27 officers and 480 men (which also included a draft of 155 that arrived during the month.)

Bertie is buried in Les Baraques Military Cemetery in Sangatte. He was just 19 years old.