{"id":843,"date":"2014-11-05T23:38:47","date_gmt":"2014-11-05T23:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/plattwarmemorial.org\/?page_id=843"},"modified":"2024-10-08T14:41:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T14:41:36","slug":"reginald-frank-thorndycraft-1896-1916","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/world-war-one\/reginald-frank-thorndycraft-1896-1916\/","title":{"rendered":"Reginald Frank Thorndycraft (1896 &#8211; 1916)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-bottom: 0px;margin-top: 0px;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#eae9e9;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-one-full fusion-column-first fusion-column-last\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:31px;margin-left:0px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.5;\">Rfn Reginald Frank Thorndycraft (1896 &#8211; 1916)<\/h3><\/div><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-dropshadow imageframe-1 hover-type-zoomin\" style=\"-webkit-box-shadow: 3px 3px 7px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);box-shadow: 3px 3px 7px rgba(0,0,0,0.3);margin-right:25px;float:left;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/reginald_frank_thorndycraft.jpg\" class=\"fusion-lightbox\" data-rel=\"iLightbox[84106e83c81e1469401]\" data-title=\"Reginald Frank Thorndycraft (1896 &#8211; 1916)\" title=\"Reginald Frank Thorndycraft (1896 &#8211; 1916)\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"218\" height=\"300\" src=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/reginald_frank_thorndycraft-218x300.jpg\" alt class=\"img-responsive wp-image-847\" srcset=\"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/reginald_frank_thorndycraft-218x300.jpg 218w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/reginald_frank_thorndycraft-640x877.jpg 640w, http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/reginald_frank_thorndycraft.jpg 729w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px\" \/><\/a><\/span><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Reginald Frank Thorndycraft was born on <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3 July<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> 1896 in Basted, the second of five children of William Thorndycraft and his wife, Jessie Mary (n\u00e9e Green.) The family lived at Basted Lodge, where William was an estate gardener, and Reginald attended Ightham Board School between 1900 and 1910, after which he followed in his father\u2019s footsteps and worked as an estate gardener, an occupation he held until the outbreak of war.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3 September<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> 1914, \u2018Reg\u2019 visited the recruiting office in Maidstone and enlisted in the Army with the King&#8217;s Royal Rifle Corps. At the time, he was recorded in a medical examination as 5\u2019 11\u201d tall, weighing 140lbs, with a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. The examing medical officers passed Reg fit for service, and he was sent to the regimental depot and attached to the 8th and then almost immediately 11th (Service) Battalions for training. The surplus from the 8th had formed the 11th &#8211; hence the quick transfer from one to the other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now part of the 59th Brigade in the 20th (Light) Division, the 11th KRRC were posted to Blackdown in Surrey before moving on to Witley in February 1915 and then Larkhall in April. Reginald had been assigned to \u2018A\u2019 Coy and became a stretcher-bearer in Lieutenant Gerald Meredith\u2019s platoon. At 4:30 pm on <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">21 July<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> 1915, he entrained with the rest of his company at Amesbury for Folkestone, where they boarded the <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">SS Queen of Folkestone<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> for Boulogne.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Reginald arrived in France shortly after midnight on the 22nd and marched a short distance with his unit to Ostrohove Rest Camp on the heights overlooking the town. Within a month, Reginald experienced his first taste of life in the trenches and was <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">present<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> at the Battle of Loos in late September, although his battalion had not taken part in the main advance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In February 1916, the battalion moved into the Ypres salient <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and settled<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">down<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> into the routine of life <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">rotating<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> in and out of the trenches and participating in the Battle of Mount Sorrel in early June. During July, the Rifles <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">were sent<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to the Somme, where on <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">22 August<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, they took over a section of trenches opposite the village of Guillemont.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3 September<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">, the British launched a major offensive on Guillemont, with the 59th Brigade set to attack the south of the village. The battalion formed the reserve of the attacking forces, with Reginald&#8217;s company following on behind the Oxford &amp; Bucks Light Infantry and tasked with moving supplies up to the front lines. As a stretcher-bearer, Reginald would have been in the thick of the action and lost his life during the afternoon while attending to wounded men on the battlefield. After his death, Reginald&#8217;s mother received the following letter from his Lieutenant:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Dear Madam,<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> with the greatest regret <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">that I have to<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> inform you of the death of your son, Rifleman Thorndycraft.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> He was killed in action on the afternoon of <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">September 4th<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> during the <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">fight,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> which had been taking place then. Your son had been in my platoon as a stretcher-bearer ever since the battalion was formed, practically for two years, and both in England and out here, more especially out here, I have always known him to be the most gallant soldier I have met. On every possible occasion, he had distinguished himself for coolness under fire and devotion to duty, and he met his death still gallantly attending to wounded men under very heavy shellfire. <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I had <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">myself<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> sent his name for reward <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">some<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> two months ago, but <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">unfortunately<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> it <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">had<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> not <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">time<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> to pass through the various headquarters.<\/span> <span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">His loss is <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">very<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> deeply felt by all his <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">comrades,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and by myself, who have always held him in such admiration <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">and<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> I can sympathise most fully with you in your <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">great<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> loss.<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> But I am sure you will be proud to know you had such a gallant <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">son,<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> and that he died in such a worthy manner.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">I remain yours sincerely,<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gerald Meredith, Lieut.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After his death, Reginald was mentioned in despatches for his part in the Somme campaign and was subsequently awarded the Military Medal for bravery. His body was either never recovered or later identified, and he <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">is commemorated<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> on the Thiepval Memorial.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":53,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-843","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=843"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10435,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/843\/revisions\/10435"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/plattmemorialhall.org\/warmemorial\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}