Reeves, Frank Herbert

Summary

Father: Charles Richard REEVES
Mother: Mary PULLEN

Birth: c 1898 in Southampton
Birth Source: Census & FreeBMD

Death: May 1918 in France
Death Source: CGWC

Spouse1:

Narrative

The birth of Frank Herbert REEVES was registered in the Southampton Registration District in the March quarter of 1899. The GRO Index to Births shows his mother's maiden name was PULLEN. He was the third of six known children born to Charles Richard REEVES and his wife Mary (nee PULLEN). The 1911 census indicates there was a seventh sibling whose identity is presently unknown.

By the time of the 1901 census, Frank along with two elder and one younger siblings are living in their parent's home at 18 Paynes Road, Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire. Frank is just 2 years old and was born in Southampton, in contrast to his elder siblings and parents who were all born in Kent.

On the 1911 census, Frank is found in his parent's household at 95 Waterloo Road, Freemantle, Southampton, Hampshire. He is now 12 years old and was born in Southampton. He is a Scholar.

At an unknown date Frank enlisted into the British Army at Camberwell, Surrey and joined the Somerset Light Infantry (regiment number 29457).¹

He served with 6th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry in France and died on 15 May 1918. He is buried in the Annois Communal Cemetery in the Aisne département of France. The CWGC web site notes that in May and June 1918 a German Field Hospital for prisoners was at the neighbouring village of Flavy-le-Martel, and soldiers from the United Kingdom who died in the hospital were buried in Annois Communal Cemetery.³

Frank's sacrifice is recorded on the Southampton Cenotaph and the modern Memorial Wall in Watts Park, Southampton along with four other individuals who share the surname Reeves; Arthur Harry REEVES,   Edward Alex REEVES,   Ernest Henry REEVES and Ernest James Benjamin REEVES.^{7 8}

Research Notes

The Medal Card (from Ancestry.com) for Frank H REEVES provides his service number (29457) and regiment (Somerset Light Infantry).²
The entry in "Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919" (also from Ancestry.com) for Frank Herbert REEVES shows the same service number plus regiment and provides his date of death (15 May 1918) and place of birth (Southampton).¹

At the present time (7Feb2014) there is no corresponding entry for Frank Herbert REEVES on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site. However they do shows F. N. REEVES having the same Service Number, Regiment and date of death as Frank Herbert REEVES and it is believed this is the same individual.

The GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921 Army (Other Ranks) has no entry for an individual F. N. Reeves on pages 3012 or 3013, but does list Frank H Reeves (number 29457, unit S.L.I.) on page 3012, who died in 1918.

Aisne is département 02 in France http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-2:FR, hence freetag FR-02 for this page

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD 1899, March quarter, Southampton Registration District
Baptism:  
Marriage:
Death:      CWGC.org as F. N. Reeves - http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/580385/REEVES,%20F%20N
                 GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921. Army (other Ranks) page 3012 as Frank H Reeves, year 1918, vol I.60, page 245
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 1073, Folio 164 face, page 11
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 06009, Reg Dist 99(Southampton), Enum. Dist. 21, Schedule 34

¹   Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919 from Ancestry.com & see below
²   WW1 Medal Card from Ancestry.com
³   CWGC - http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/64105/ANNOIS%20COMMUNAL%20CEMETERY

⁷   Southampton Cenotaph Names - http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-leisure/artsheritage/history/cenotaph.aspx
⁸   Southampton's Fallen Heroes - http://www.southampton.gov.uk/Images/Fallen%20Heroes_tcm46-351225.pdf



From Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919 at Ancestry.com,
Original data: British and Irish Military Databases. The Naval and Military Press Ltd.

Name: Frank Herbert Reeves
Birth Place: Southampton
Death Date: 15 May 1918
Death Location: France & Flanders
Enlistment Location: Camberwell, Surrey
Rank: Private
Regiment: Prince Albert's (Somerset Light Infantry)
Battalion: 6th Battalion
Number: 29457
Type of Casualty: Died
Theatre of War: Western European Theatre
Comments: Formerly 34100, Cavalry Regiment