reginald flook

[j.r.f]

PALS

Some of you will know that REGINALD FLOOK was my great uncle. He fell in or near POLYGON WOOD on 11/11/i914. Last year I was fortunate enough to be in the wood on the eleventh of November but 2005.This experience was mind blowing for me.I placed a BRITISH LEGION cross in the knarled bark of a tree for him.Then I cried for the waste of so many lives.Ithen went on to find his name on the MENIN GATE, Again I cried not just for him but for the ausom array of names that are on the gate.From almost all over the world. Everone of them left fathers,mothers,brothers, sisters,or just someone to morn for them.

When I came home I vowed to find out more about my great uncle.Nobody in the family knows anything about him other than he liuved and died in the first world war.Idid not know his age.All I have is a memorial plaque in his memory and the letter from the King saying IF HE HAD LIVED THAT HE WOULD HAVE RECIEVED THE ATTACHED 1914 STAR. My wife and myself spent hours and hours looking for evidence of him.Nothing,blank,brickwall.Only four bits of evidence his memorial plaque,which my father had treasured,the letter,the evidence of CWGC web site that states his number death and regiment and finally the evidence of SDIGW that gave the same evidence as cwgc with the added that he was born in BRISTOL and was resident here but signed on in, I think , Lverpool.We looked every where for him with no avail.Then my wife said that all his brothers and sisters had fancy names,if he was just plain reginald then he would be the odd one out.Bingo we cracked it he was named after his father THOMAS FLOOK.There he was and so as to prove it we sent for his birth certificate.It came back.It WAS the correct one.Absolutly no doubt.I next sent for his death sertificate giving the OVERSEAS department ALL the information I have about his name regiment etc..Back came said certificate with the information of the CWGC site.I begane to doubt again. They could have coppied asll the information of the CWGC. Placing tonge in cheek and with not a little trepidation ,I rang the ONS and said that all the information that they had given me was on the CWGC site and had they just copied this.The phone went quiet for a moment,I thought I had shot my bolt,But, avery pleasant young man ,assured me that the information had been taken directly from the regimental record kept by them.I thanked him.I am now sure that I now have the bare bones of my uncles life and can now go on to fill in the gaps.

Sorry to be so verbose but what I am trying to say is that I am dead chuffed,and also more importantly that if you persevere then often you can come up with the answer,.

nuf said CHEERS.

JOHN

[marina]

Lots of us know that feeling, John. Fantastic!

Marina