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7078 7th Battalion, Norfolk Regiment
Thomas Reeder was born in 1886 in Beccles, Suffolk, one of six children of James and Lucy Reeder. His father was a maltster’s labourer and the family lived in Beccles.
Thomas was employed as a bricklayer’s labourer when he enlisted aged 18 on 29 December 1904 in Norwich. He served with the 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Norfolk Regiment (formerly 5409) before being posted as a regular in September 1905. His service record describes him as 5ft 7¼ ins in height, with a 31inch chest, grey eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.
By 1911 he held the rank of Lance Corporal and was stationed with the 2nd Battalion at Belgaum in India. Thomas married Ellen Jarmyn in Sudbury in 1914 and they had two children.
Thomas first served in France on 16 August 1914, it is not known if he was still a regular soldier serving with the 1st Battalion which was part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) which landed at Le Havre in August 1914 or if he was a reservist and rejoined his unit.
It is not known when Thomas transferred to 7th Battalion which formed part of 35th Brigade,12th (Eastern) Division. In the summer of 1916 the battalion saw action on the Somme at the Battle of Albert (1 - 13 July), Pozieres (23 July – 3 September) and Le Transloy (1 - 18 October).
Thomas was killed in action aged 28 on 12 October 1916. There is no known grave and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, France. A Cross of Remembrance was laid at the Thiepval Memorial in April 2006
and April 2009.
Thomas was awarded the 1914 Star and Clasp, British War Medal and Victory Medal. The clasp "5TH AUG - 22ND NOV 1914" was awarded with the 1914 Star for any soldier who came under enemy fire or within range of enemy mobile artillery in France or Belgium between those dates. This was to differentiate between those who were also serving in France or Belgium but behind the lines.
He is also remembered on the Beccles War Memorial.
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