Reeves, Geoffrey Frederick John

Summary

Father: Edward John REEVES
Mother: Erica Mary YOUNG

Birth: 1894
Birth Source: FreeBMD & Census

Death: 6 June 1915
Death Source: CWGC.org

Spouse1:

Narrative

Geoffrey Frederick John REEVES is the eldest of three children of Edward John REEVES and his wife Erica Mary (nee YOUNG). His birth was registered in the Hastings Registration District during the fourth quarter of 1894.

From Upper St Leonards St John the Evangelist, Sussex Parish Register:

• 1894 November eighteenth. Geoffrey Frederick John (son of) Edward John & Erica Mary Reeves (of) South Sheen, Civil Engineer (by) Henry D Jones Rector

Geoffrey and his family have yet to be identified on the 1901 census.

By 1905 Geoffrey and his family were living in St Helier Jersey where he attended Victoria College and was a member of the Officer Training Corps. ¹

On the 1911 census, Geoffrey is living in his parents home in St Helier, Jersey. He is 16 years old and his place of birth is given as St Leonards, Sussex.

At an unknown date Geoffrey enlisted in the British Army and became a Second Lieutenant in 3rd Battalion, The Hampshire Regiment (Special Reserve).¹   He was later attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment^1 3  and whilst serving with them in Gallipoli he died on 6 June 1915 at the age of 20. He is buried in the Redoubt Cemetery, Helles in Turkey and is commemorated there by a Special Memorial.

The CWGC site notes parent's address as The Cottage, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire and Geoffrey's sacrifice is recorded on the Chandlers Ford (Hampshire) War Memorial⁴   and at his school in Jersey.²

Research Notes

Based on information about Hampshire Regiment deployments at http://www.1914-1918.net/hants.htm], it is more probable Geoffrey was serving with the 2nd Battalion rather than the 3rd Battalion as noted by CWGC in Turkey. This is confirmed by both Du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour and his school's Book of Remembrance.

Sources

Birth:       FreeBMD 1894, December quarter, Hastings Registration District.
Baptism:   Upper St Leonards St John the Evangelist, Sussex Parish Register 1866-1900, PAR 472/1/2/1
Marriage:
Death:      http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/601178/REEVES,%20GEOFFREY%20FREDERICK%20JOHN
                 
1901 Census:
1911 Census: RG14, Piece 34926, Reg.Dist. 637 (Jersey), Enum.Dist. 48, Schedule 63

¹   Victoria College, Jersey - Book of Remembrance pages 130&131
                 http://www.greatwarci.net/honour/jersey/victcoll/victcoll-rem.pdf#page=130
²   Victoria College, Jersey - Book of Remembrance pages 4 & 8
                 http://www.greatwarci.net/honour/jersey/victcoll/victcoll-rem.pdf#page=4
³   Du Ruvigny's Roll of Honour - Volume 1 Page 303
                 https://archive.org/stream/rollofhonourbiog01ruvi#page/303/mode/1up
⁴   http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Hampshire/ChandlersFord.html