| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Frederick, known in the army as Harold, was born in Beverley in 1882 to East Riding Constabulary Sergeant Francis Reed and Sarah (nee Ellerby). Siblings John William was 16 years his elder, and sister Ada was born in 1872.
Francis retired from the Police in Jan 1883 to become a sanitary inspector at Bridlington, which is where he and Sarah and married in 1865. Frederick was brought up in Bridlington living at 4 Elm Terrace, and by 1901 he was an 18 year old printer’s apprentice living with his parents at 29 Holyrood Avenue, Bridlington. His father died in 1902.
On 28 May 1910 Frederick, an auxillary postman, married Amy Ward at Christ Church, Bridlington. By 1911 they were living at 18 Medina Avenue, Bridlington with their son Harold Francis who was born in 1911. Frederick was a pre-war territorial having joined the 5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment in 1905 and he working as an assistant caretaker at Bridlington School before being called up.
On 18 Apr 1915 Corporal 376 Reed arrived in France. The 5th Yorkshires were immediately on the front line and involved in the Battle of St Julien, along the banks of the Yser Canal. Frederick was a member of B Company and one of a signaling detachment. He was seriously wounded and taken to No 5 Casualty Clearing Station at Poperinghe where he died on 26 Apr 1915.
Amy, his wife, received a letter from Sgt Fowler from B Company who wrote to tell her Harold’s comrades had made his resting place “as pretty as possible” and “Our Colonel has had a new cross put up for him also, so that anyone will be able to find it afterwards”.
Lance Sgt Frederick Harold Reed’s final resting place is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s White House Cemetery, St Jean-Les-Ypres where he is Remembered with Honour. His name can also be found on Bridlington School’s Roll of Honour, (named as Henry Reed on the original Roll), on the War Memorial at Priory Church, Bridlington and on Bridlington Cenotaph. He was 32 at the time of his death.
Includes information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |