Lieutenant Reginald Francis Clements 7th (Service) Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

[Blue Dragoon]

Morning

I'm researching Lieutenant Reginald Francis Clements MC 7th (Service) Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment

The actual unit he was with when he was killed by an exploding shell on 14th Aug 1918 is proving a little difficult to confirm.  He's buried at Morlancourt British Cemetery No 2.  CWGC attributes him to 7th (service) Bn Royal Sussex but looking at that units war diary for the day confirms they were well out of the line and nothing is recorded in the war diary specific to his death.

I have the med records for him which identifies 3rd Bn RSussex but they appear to be  a training unit used as the garrison for the defences of Harwich.

His MIC and MIR entry shows he enlisted as a Private 19th RF, entered France 14 Nov 1915 before being commissioned to the R Sussex 4 Aug 1916 

Any help confirming the unit he might have been serving with on the day of his death appreciated.

Many thanks

George 

[Coldstreamer]

Have you considered it might not of been An enemy shell that blew up?

Do you know if he is recorded as killed in action died of wounds or died?

[Coldstreamer]

Some war diaries are Quite scant with what people put in them

Have you tried looking for local newspaper reports?

Edited 29 September , 2022 by Coldstreamer

[Blue Dragoon]

7th Bn out of the line.  Morlancourt no where near where Bn was.  Bn war diary does record Officer comings and goings.  I'm not convinced he was with 7th Bn

[Coldstreamer]

Have you looked at other casualties In that cemetery on that day?

[Blue Dragoon]

 

He's the only 7th Bn and only one registered for that  day

[Coldstreamer]

Could have been visiting someone in the line?

I ask the question as I have two medals to Coldstream Guards officers who were killed by a shell whilst visiting the Irish Guards HQ.I have never actually looked to see how close the Irish Guards were to where the Colstream were actually stationed on the day. Your thread has made me ponder!

Being a service battalion officer maybe he was taking something? Just chucking some ideas out there

[Blue Dragoon]

Think I've got it.  24 May 1918: More than 400 men from 7th Suffolks transferred to 1/1st Cambridgeshire Regiment. At the time of his death on 14 Aug 1918 1/1st Cambs were in the Morlancourt area.  Problem is I can find the 1/1st Cambs war diary for that period!

 

[travers61]

Extract from War Diary of 7th Bn Royal Sussex Regiment "in support W. of Morlancourt".  It is on ancestry as under of 12th Division.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/534902:60779?_phsrc=mmt36&_phstart=successSource&ml_rpos=322&queryId=405f07559a13a43c1a7177a234b5095e

 

From a CWGC search of 7th Royal Sussex these seem to be the other officers who died

Lt Peter Sydenham DIXON 7th Bn died 7.7.1918

Lt W.S. ROUSELL  3rd Bn attached 7th Bn 8.8.1918

2nd Lt H.J. PALMER 7th Bn 8.8.1918

2nd Lt Cyril Percy BURLEY 7th Bn 8.8.1918

2nd Lt A. MURRAY 7th Bn 8.8.1918

 

Travers

 

 

 

Edited 29 September , 2022 by travers61

[Colin W Taylor]

Hi George,

I have an interest in R F Clements from his time with 19th Bn Royal Fusiliers. I have his officer file from Kew if there is any further information you might be after. I presume you're focus on him relates to his poem on Salisbury Plain from his time there with the Fusiliers.

Regards

Colin

[Blue Dragoon]

Colin/Travers

many thanks for your feedback; brilliant! I'm really grateful. I'm researching the names on my old school's ww1 memorial (Hereford Cathedral School) and he is on it.  Any and all info on him would be much appreciated.

best wishes

George

 

[travers61]

Hi George

I can't get the 7th R. Sx war diary on  ancestry to scroll today to check any further mention of Lt Clements, but from the page I had seen it looks more probable that he was killed on 13th August, but it was recorded as 14th, maybe as it was reported that day after they came out of the line after midnight.  That is not to discount the usual daily exchange of shells that went on even on a "quiet" day like the 14th.

 

Best wishes for your project.

 

Travers

[JMB1943]

George,

The following is lifted verbatim from The History of the Seventh (Service) Battln of the RSR,

p. 226

"The III Corps was anxious that the enemy's position on Hill 105 should be captured as soon as possible.....

[JMB: Apparently, two strong patrols--one daylight, one at night--failed to take H.105]

Accordingly, an attack was arranged for morning of the 13th at 4:55 a.m.....

[JMB: objective achieved, but lost by a strong German counter-attack; A & D coys withdrew t otheir own lines.]

The battalion was relieved that night by the 5th Royal Berks and went back to the old British lines west of Morlancourt, but not before Lt. Clements, who had shown great gallantry in all these operations, had been killed by a stray bullet."

Regards,

JMB

EDIT There are several other mentions of Clements in the Index; if you would like to have them, I will post later today or tomorrow.

Edited 4 October , 2022 by JMB1943

[Blue Dragoon]

That would be great. Many thanks

[JMB1943]

The following is lifted verbatim from The History of the Seventh (Service) Battln of the RSR,

Regards,

JMB

March 1918: FLEURBAIX

 

 

 

[Blue Dragoon]

Draft Biography for Reginald Francis Clements.  Please feel free to highlight any errors or provide new information (Edit) New version 4 posts down with census detail

Cheers

George

 

Edited 11 January , 2023 by Blue Dragoon

[JMB1943]

George,

Unfortunately, I have no new info to provide, however, will be pleased to sharpen my red pencil.....!

Some points that I noticed on first run through; will re-read in a couple of days to double check.

Son: Henry George Clements. B: November 1880 Old Cumnock, Ayrshire, Scotland. Appears on the 1811 and 1891 Scotland census in Old Cumnock and Oban respectively with the family but no other marriage, death or census records found. Probably died before 1911.

Son: Reginald Francis Clements MC. B: 22nd May 1892 in Oban, Argyll. Attended Hereford Cathedral School as a Junior and Senior. Studied Theology at Birkbeck College London and then was employed as a Law Clerk. D: 14th August 1918 in the vicinity of Hill 105 near Morlancourt, Somme, Picardie, France. Buried: Morlancourt British Cemetery No. 2 Plot B:9.

The book ‘Birkbeck: 200 Years of Radical Learning for Working People’ has several references to Reginald where he is also remembered as a published poet.

Page 3  After his wounds healed,........would it not be better to give some account of this here or at least reference a later page, if it is described in the manuscript.

Page 4 As Clements was killed by a stray bullet, he was presumably not killed in action; surprised that his service revolver was also not retuned to parents.

Page 4   amongst others

Page 4 (like the 19th Battalion) comma footballers,

Page 5  There are then two further Gazette entries

Page 9 et seq. numbers less than 10 are usually written out (two, five, nine etc)

Page 10  4:40 am under cover  

Page 10 Military Cross

Page 14 collapse of the German Army

Page 26  Interesting that Clements is recorded as being "killed instantly by a shell" (vs. stray bullet )--small wonder there was no revolver to return.

Page 27 Reginald’s name on the Birkbeck Scroll roll of honour.            One or the other, but not both.

Let me say what a VERY nice job you have done, congrats!!

Regards,

JMB

Edited 10 January , 2023 by JMB1943

[mandy hall]

Hi George

Congratulations on the write up of Reginald Clements.

He would possibly have known my great uncle, Harry Francis Hall, 7th Battalion Royal Sussex, who was in D Company and who died 24th May 1918.

I would personally say that the 7th Battalion was raised in Chichester, it might be splitting hairs and yes they did move to Colchester briefly.  The photo is of plaque, that is on the entrance to the old Chichester barracks site, that is now a housing estate.

Mandy

[Blue Dragoon]

nice one you guys, many thanks

[Blue Dragoon]

20-Lieutenant Reginald Francis Clementsv2.pdf

[Blue Dragoon]

Updated version 2 with service record docs

Lieutenant Reginald Francis Clements v2.pdf

[JMB1943]

Blue,

Many thanks for putting together such a comprehensive memorial to Lt. Clements.

He well-deserves to be remembered.

Regards,

JMB

[Blue Dragoon]

nice one cheers