Reeves, Henry George

Summary

Father: Frank REEVES
Mother: Emily SMITH

Birth: 1890
Birth Source: FreeBMD & Census

Death: 1917
Death Source: CWGC.org

Spouse1:

Narrative

Henry George REEVES is the eldest of the eleven known children of Frank Reeves and his wife Emily (nee Smith). His birth was registered during the second quarter of 1890.

On the 1891 census, Henry G Reeves appears with his parents in the village of Heddington, Wiltshire. As well as his parents, enumerated on the same schedule are his paternal grandparents Robert Reeves and Elizabeth (nee mnu). Henry is 10 months old and his place of birth is shown as Heddington, Wiltshire.

At the time of the 1901 census, he appears as Harry Reeves, again in a family context but now residing at Clack Cottage, Henbury, Gloucestershire. He is now 10 years old and again his place of birth is shown as Heddington, Wiltshire.

By the time of the 1911 census, Henry has left the parental home. He has yet to be identified with absolute certainty on the 1911 census, but see Research Note 1 below.

"Soldiers Died in the Great War" notes that Henry enlisted in Bristol, but provides no date of enlistment. Henry's Medal Record Card indicates he was serving in France by January 1915 as Private 8150 of the Wiltshire Regiment and that he was subsequently appointed Acting Corporal. Private 8150 Reeves of 1/Wilt R. appears on list number 26487 of Sick and Wounded NCO's and Men of the Expeditionary Force which was compiled in June 1915. It notes he was "Sick slt" perhaps meaning slightly sick and "adm 9 S.H. Havre ex another H. 15/June/15"

Private 8150 Reeves now of 5/Wilts appears on a list number H.D.2962 of Sick and Wounded NCO's and Men of the Expeditionary Force - Persian Gulf which was compiled in April 1917. This notes "GSW.Head Dang..Trans. to Det. en route Bagdad (sic) ex 31 B S.H. Sheikh Saad 30 April 1917". This is understood to mean he had suffered a gun shot wound (GSW) to the head and that he was in a dangerous, life threatening, condition.

Sadly his wounds were to prove to be fatal, as Henry's death is recorded on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website as H. Reeves. He was serving as Private 8150 of the 5th Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment and died in May 1917 in Iraq. He is buried in grave XIII G 10 in the Amara War Cemetery which is today in the Maysan Governate (province) of Iraq. (IRQ IQ-MA) The CWGC site additionally notes "Son of Emily Reeves, of 68, Adam St., Adamsdown, Cardiff, and the late F. Reeves. Born in Wiltshire."

His death is 1917 is recorded in the GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921 Army (Other Ranks) as
                "Reeves, Henry         Pte 8150 Wilts."

Research Notes

(1) Henry has yet to be identified with absolute certainty on the 1911 census. It is probable he is the Henry Reeves serving with the 1st Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment, in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa. The age of 20 matches this individual and the place of birth is shown as Devizes, Wiltshire which is the nearest town to the village of Heddington. Also his WW1 records show he has a relatively low Regimental Number (8150) and his service in France by Jan 1915 are both suggestive of an individual who was a long serving soldier and not a "for the duration" recruit.

(2) On the same 1911 census there was a Frank Reeves also serving with 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regiment. He was 22 years old and born Chippenham, Wiltshire. It is strongly suspected this is Frederick John Reeves born in Lyneham in 1888. Chippenham is the nearest town to the village of Lyneham. Frederick's regimental number was 7912, suggesting he joined up prior to Henry (number 8150) who is approximately two years his junior. There is no known family connection, purely the co-incidence that they both served in the 1st Battalion of the Wiltshire Regiment.

Sources

Birth:        FreeBMD & Census
Baptism:  
Marriage:
Death:     GRO Index to War Deaths 1914-1921 Army (Other Ranks) page 3013
                CWGC http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/629942/REEVES,%20H
                 
1891 Census: RG12, Piece 1597, Folio 67 reverse, Page 6
1901 Census: RG13, Piece 2404, Folio 101 face, Page 7

1911 Census: 1st Wilts - RG14, Piece 34977, 1st Bn, Wiltshire Regiment, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, South Africa
1911 Census: Parents - RG14, Piece 15094, Reg.Dist. 319 (Bristol), Sub Dist. 9 (Westbury on Trym), Enum.Dist. 2, Schedule 138