2nd Lieutenant Reginald WATSON
11th (Service) Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

Date of birth: 18th October 1887
Date of death: 7th October 1916

Killed in action aged 28
Buried at Warlencourt British Cemetery Plot III Row C Grave 8
He was born at Stoke Newington on the 18th of October 1887, the son of Charles William Watson, stockbroker, and Fanny Augusta (nee Bishop)of 4 Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, London.

He was educated at Harrow View House School, Ealing, and at the King's School Canterbury from September 1900 to July 1905, where he gained a Junior Scholarship in July 1902 and a Senior Scholarship in July 1904. A keen athlete he held the record for the open mile as well as being a member of the Rugby XV in 1903 and 1904. He was awarded his sports colours in 1904 and 1905 and was appointed a monitor in September 1904.

On leaving school he went to work in the London Stock Exchange as a clerk and on the outbreak of war he enlisted as a Private PS/3337 in the Royal Fusiliers, University and Public Schools Corps.

On the 5th of August 1916 he was commissioned into the Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) and embarked for France on the 4th of October 1916 where he was posted to the 11th Battalion of his regiment. He was part of a draft of eight officers and two hundred men which arrived to replace the losses the battalion had sustained three weeks earlier when it attacked the village of Flers.

Three days later the battalion was detailed to attack the ridge overlooking Ligny-Thilloy and La Barque with the specific objective of 'Gird' trench which had defied all attempts to take it in the previous three months. The battalion left their trenches at 1.45pm and at once came under intense machine gun fire which brought the attack to a standstill after 100 yards. With the rest of the Division meeting equal resistance it was decided to consolidate their positions where they were. All night the men dug and managed to link up with the battalions on both flanks and held the line until relieved early on the morning of the 9th.

Casualties had been heavy with all four company commanders being killed and only four officers and around 100 men remaining from the attacking force.

He is commemorated on the war memorial at the London Stock Exchange.

Back