10238 Private Reginald Victor Connett
8th(Service)Battalion
Devonshire Regiment
1st July 1916
Born on 03/01/1894 in Stoke Dramerel Devon.
His parents were Thomas Wallace Connett(1855-1932) and Rebecca Medlen(1856-1903). They were married in 1878.
Reginald had 4 brothers; Thomas Wallace(born on 23/05/1880-10/02/1906), Gilbert Nicholas(1881-02/05/1951),
William Ernest(born in 1886) and Bertram Sidney
(1891-26/04/1952). He also has 2 sisters ;
Mary Ann Babbage(1890-1932) and Bessie Babbage
(13/04/1893-1970).
In the 1901 census the family were recorded as living at
10 Pym Street,Devonport,Devon. Thomas was employed as an armourer on a Royal Navy ship.
In 1903 Reginald's mother Rebecca died and 3 years later on 10/02/1906 his brother Thomas who had joined the Royal Navy(service number 197034) on 30/12/1897 was washed overboard from HMS Circe,a torpedo boat destroyer at sea off the Lizard during a heavy roll and drowned at 10.45am.
In the 1911 census it recorded that the family had moved to Reading in Berkshire and were living at 11 East Street Reading. Thomas was employed as an electrical engineer and 14 year old Reginald was a packer in a biscuit factory.
In the next couple of years Reginald must have made the decision to move back to Devon as on 07/04/1913
he started work as a cleaner for the Great Western Railway at Exeter station.
He was earning 2/- 2d per week which rose to 2/- 4d on 03/01/1914 and then 2/- 6d on 03/01/1915.
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He enlisted in Exeter and his date of disembarkation into France was on 25/07/1915.
He was killed in action on 01/07/1916.
He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star,the 1914-1918 British War and Allied Victory medals.
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His brother Bertram was Private 361909 in the Princess Charlotte of Wales (Royal Berkshire) Regiment.
He served from 03/09/1914 until he was discharged due to wounds on 13/05/1918.