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26124 1st Battalion, East Surrey Regiment
Reginald Farrance was born in 1898 in Sudbury, the son of John and Ellen Farrance and had three brothers: Alexander (Alec), David and Percy and six sisters: Bessie, Emma, Grace, Alice, Evelyn and Elsie. His father was employed as a mat weaver and the family lived at 34 Church Street, before moving to 3 Laundry Gardens, Bridgefoot close to Ballingdon Bridge.
Reginald was living in Marylebone, London when he enlisted and served with The East Surrey Regiment. His three brothers also served during the war: Alec lost his life serving with the Suffolk Regiment and is also remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial; David served in the army and Percy in the Royal Marines enlisting in 1917 and serving right through the Second World War to 1945.
In January 1916 the battalion became part of 95th Brigade, 5th Division. In September 1917 the Division was relieved and taken out of the line for a short period before being sent to Belgium to join the Allied offensive at the Third Battle of Ypres (31 July – 10 November). The battalion saw action at the battles of Polygon Wood (26 September – 3 October), Broodseinde (4 October) and Poelcapelle (9 October).
The bad weather in early October led the battlefield to become quagmire. The attack on 9 October began at 5.20am but the Allied troops struggled for hours through the mud to reach the start line. The mud made it impossible to bring up enough artillery ammunition to support the advance and the few gains made were quickly lost to enemy counter attacks. The Allies suffered 12,000 casualties killed, missing or wounded.
Reginald died aged 19 on 10 October 1917 and lies buried in Hooge Crater Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium. He was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
A Cross of Remembrance was laid by his grave in April 2006, April 2009 and in April 2017 (the year of the 100th anniversary of his death).
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