| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information
Reginald was born in Beverley the 22 Aug 1895. He was one of seven children born to William and Kate Meek (nee Vince), both were from Beverley and married at Beverley Minster in 1877. William was a printer’s compositor. Reginald was brought up on Trinity Lane and then on Queensgate and attended St Mary’s Boys’ School. He became a plumber’s apprentice and then qualified as a plumber, a job he did for the rest of his working life. After the death of his father in 1905 Reginald and his family moved to Hull and lived with his sister Frances Henrietta and her husband at 19 Arlington Street.
In 1915 the 1st Hull Heavy Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery was formed, helped by Lord Nunburnholme who had helped create the four Hull Pals Battalions. Reginald was a gunner and his number-108- indicates he joined early in 1915. It was re-designated as the 11th (Hull) Heavy Battery later in the year, attached to 11th Division, part of 38th Brigade, and sent to East Africa. It was re-equipped as a howitzer Battery. The fighting in East Africa largely took place in the German colony of Tanganyika. In Jan 1918 the battery was re-designated 545th Siege Battery and returned to Europe. It took part in the Allied advance of heavily defended German positions on the Hindenburg Line in the summer and autumn of 1918, its heavy shells being used to destroy those positions. Reginald would have served at the Lys, St Quentin Canal and Beaurevoir. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Reginald spent the rest of his life in Hull. He married Josephine Muriel Hamshaw at St Matthew’s Church on the 20 Oct 1920. They had two children, the family lived at various addresses, latterly at 227 Anlaby Road. Reginald died on 26 Mar 1966 aged 70. Josephine died in 1950.
Includes information taken from photograph, census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |