L/Sjt Reginald Pinch MM 10th Bn Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry

[Bods]

Hi, I am also interested in a relative on my partner's side.

L/Sjt Reginald Pinch of the 10th Bn DCLI (Cornwall pioneers) - service number 3/4798

He died of wounds on the 25th March 1918 possibly during the battle of Bapaume in the German Spring Offensive.

He had been awarded the Military Medal which was gazetted 13th March 1918.

Born in Bodmin circa 1893 and was son of Alfred Harry Pinch of St Kew, Cornwall.

I have visited the DCLI museum in Bodmin and there is a possiblity that he served with the 1st Bn DCLI prior to joining the 10th.

Apparently, his service number may indicate he served from August 1914?

Again any additional info is gratefully received.

Regards

David

[Greenwoodman]

SDGW says he enlisted in Bodmin, was resident at St Trudy and confirms DoW. CWGC says aged 24 and buried at Puchevillers. Doesn't seem to be mentioned in the battalion history.

[Bods]

Thank you Greenwoodman.

David

[Bods]

I have been trying to find out why Reginald was awarded his MM but haven't had any success at all.

Do any pals have any advice regarding the best way to try and establish his citation or the circumstances of his earning the medal?

[devonmaid]

Listed under B Pinch

Birth registered Sept Qtr 1895 Bodmin.

Both CWGC and SDGW both have him as 10th Battalion

The 1901 census shows he had a younger brother called Alfred, there is a MIC for an Alfred Pinch in the DCLI No. 2467 & 200690 but there's no gaurantee it's him

Ellie

[Bods]

Thank you Ellie,

The service number is the same, although the initial is shown as B rather than R.

Wonder if that could be a handwriting error somewhere along the line?

Also, I'm not very experienced with these things, can you explain what the entries mean or decipher the handwritten lines?

It would be very much appreciated.

David

[devonmaid]

David

Both these cards are for the same person. Each card refers to the other one regarding the initial, It has identical written along the top. The 1st card is for his 1914-1915 Star. This was awarded to soldiers who saw service anywhere in the world before 31st December 1915. For soldiers who were in France or Belgium between the dates of 4th August and 22nd November 1914 also earned the clasp ( his qualifying date being 19th September 1914). I'm a beginner myself so hopefully i've given you the right information, if not i'm sure someone will correct me.

The second card is for his other medals i.e Victory Medal & British War Medal the numbers & letters alongside them refer to the Medal Rolls Index. Which can be accessed at Kew, they are not available online. They could give his battalion. Maybe you could put out a request in case another member is going to Kew who would look them up for you.

Hope this helps

Ellie

[Bods]

Thanks Ellie,

That clarifys things for me.

It seems Reg served from 1914 until his death in 1918.

I would love to find out some information about his MM.

Cheers maid!

[devonmaid]

You're welcome David

Re your #4 post above, hopefully Steve (stebie9173) will see this and respond. If the citation for his MM is in the LG (i assume they are mentioned in there ) then he's the man to find it.

Ellie

[Stebie9173]

There are almost exclusively (i.e. 99.9%) no citations for MMs in the London Gazette. The only citations published were for some very late Gazetted awards in 1920, plus later awards to women.

Here is the link to the announcment of his MM in the Gazette:

3/4798 L./Sjt. R. Pinch, D.C.L.I. (St. Tudy, Cornwall).

http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.a...t=&similar=

Judging by other MMs awarded at the time, I suspect that his MM would have been awarded at the battle of Cambrai, but that is just an educated guess.

For extra information on MMs the best source is really local papers, parish magazines, etc. of the time. The battalion War Diary may also mention him.

Just to add, his date of entry to France for his 1914 Star will mean that he initially served with 1st Bn. and later transferred to the 10th, presumably after wounds or illness.

Steve.

[Bods]

Steve,

Thank you for the quick reply and your thoughts on his MM. It was appreciated.

Looks like I'll be taking a trip down to Bodmin for some research.....

Cheers

David

[dunmore44]

I can confirm that he Reginald Pinch, then a private embarked for France on the 19 Sep 1914 joining the 1st Btn, being one of the first replacements. He would have enlisted sometime in 1912.

Regards

Simon (dunmore44)

Do you have any photos of him?

[Bods]

It's taken us a little while, but my partner and I have managed to get down to Bodmin to further our research and we were also able to make the pilgrimage to Puchevillers in order to pay our respects at Reg's last resting place.

Here is a photo of Reg's CWWG headstone at Puchvillers cemetery:

Caroline, my partner, found it quite an emotional experience finding his grave and there were a few tears shed.

It is highly likely she was the first member of the family to ever see where he is buried and as a result, she finds this poem extremely moving:

THE VISITORS

I half awoke to a strange new calm

In a sleep that would not clear,

For this was the sleep to cure all harm

And free us all from fear.

Fire had come from left and right

With shrapnel shell and flame,

To turn my sunlit days to night,

Where no one now would know my name.

Years passed me by as I waited,

Missed the generations yet to come;

Sadly, I knew I would not be fated,

To be a father, hold a son.

I heard again the sound of War

When twenty years of sleep had gone,

For five long years or maybe more,

Until peace at last, once more had come.

More years passed, new voices came,

The stones and trenches to explore

But no one came to call my name,

As I waited and waited evermore.

Each time I thought, perhaps, perhaps,

Perhaps this time, they might find me,

But they only came for other chaps,

No one came to set me free.

Through lonely years of vigil kept,

To look for me they never came,

Nobody searched or ever wept,

Nobody stayed to call my name.

Until that lovely summer's day,

I heard voices soft and strained with tears,

And then I knew that THEY had come,

To roll away those wasted years.

Their hearts reached out to hold me,

To make me whole like other men,

For they had come just to see me,

And take me home with them.

Now I'm at peace and free to roam

Where're my family call my name,

Today my soul was called back home,

For today my family came.

By diligently searching through the Bodmin library archives of the 'Cornish Guardian' newspaper, we were able to uncover the following nuggets of information:

Cornish Guardian dated 11th January 1918

Reg was awarded his M.M for conspicuous bravery in the field on 30th November 1917 whilst serving with the DCLI.

(More than likely during the german counter attacks in the Cambrai region whilst Reg was serving with the 10th DCLI - Cornish pioneers who were attached to the 2nd Division)

Cornish Guardian dated 12th April 1918

Reg had died of wounds on the 25th March 1918 having suffered gunshot wounds and a fractured thigh.

We intend to keep researching Reg whenever we have some spare time and we keep our fingers crossed that we might find a photograph of him one day.