Reginald BASHFORD

Sue Light, who has been researching the men of the Lancing War Memorial, writes:

Reg Bashford was born of the 18th of September 1888 and baptised at St. James the Less, Lancing, on the 4th November of the same year, the third child of John and Eliza Jane Bashford. Eliza had been married previously and had a son James Bridger, known as Fred, from her first marriage - so the Bashford children, William, Clara, Reginald, Edward, Percy and Alice also had an older half-brother at home. Their father worked throughout his life as a Market Garden labourer, and the older boys followed him into this occupation. The 1901 census of Lancing shows that at twelve years of age Reg had already left school and was working as a grocer's assistant, but he was destined to move a long way from Lancing. In 1907 Reg decided to look further a field and went into the Army and 94th Battery Royal Field Artillery; his service record does not survive at the Public Record Office, but from other sources we know that he travelled widely. When he left the Army in 1914 after six and a half years service, his last posting had been in Lahore, India, and on the 9th of March 1914 he was transferred to the Army Reserve. Immediately following his return home he found work as a gardener, but within four weeks of his discharge he had been accepted as a member of the West Sussex Constabulary. '

He joined the West Sussex Constabulary on 14th April 1914, aged 25 years with warrant number 107. At the time of joining he was described as being single, 5' 9 1/4" tall, with a fresh complexion, brown hair, blue eyes and of proportionate build. He had a tattoo of an eagle & snake on his left forearm. His service record shows that he was posted on May 28th 1914 to Horsham and was then called up for Military Service on 4th August 1914.

He entered France on the 19th of August 1914, and was involved in the retreat from Mons - definitely one of the 'Old Contemptibles.'

As his service record was one of the many First World War records destroyed by German bombing of London in 1940, it is not possible to find details of his four years service, but he was killed in action on the 30th August 1918, as the Germans were finally pushed back by the advancing allied forces. The Battalion War Diary for 42nd Brigade Royal Field Artillery shows that the British were going forward quickly at that time, capturing their objectives and taking prisoners as they went, and on the 30th August they were in the area around Sapignies. It is not known if Reg Bashford had escaped injury previously during the war - there are no newspaper reports to that effect, just the report of his death in the Sussex Daily News of 14th September 1918:

'LANCING SERGEANT KILLED - Mr. and Mrs. John Bashford, 18 Cecil Road, Lancing, have had news of the death of one of their three soldier sons Sergeant R. Bashford, Royal Field Artillery, who was killed at the Western Front on 30th August. He would have been thirty years of age on 18th September and was an old soldier, accompanying the first British Expeditionary Force in the famous Retreat from Mons and thus having passed through four years of warfare. Of the two other sons, Signaller P. Bashford, Royal Engineers, is at the Western Front, while Sub-Conductor F. Bashford, Army Ordnance Corps, is also at one of the battle fronts.'

Serjeant 47552

29th Bty. 42nd Bde., Royal Field Artillery

Died Friday 30th August 1918 age 30

Son of Mr and Mrs J Bashford, of Lancing, Sussex

Buried at Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France.

Grave reference II. L. 6

Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France

Achiet-le-Grand is a large village 19 kilometres south of Arras.

The Communal Cemetery Extension containing the Commonwealth war graves is situated at the north-west side of the village alongside the Communal Cemetery. There are nearly 1,500 war casualties commemorated in this site. Of these, some 200 are unidentified, and special memorials record the names of eight soldiers from the United Kingdom, known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of eight soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Canada and one from New Zealand, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found. The extension covers an area of 3,505 square metres. It is enclosed by a rubble wall on three sides, and separated from the Communal Cemetery by a hedge

The Extension now contains the graves of 1,244 sailors, soldiers, Marines and airmen from the United Kingdom; 94 soldiers from New Zealand, 61 from Australia and four from South Africa; two soldiers and one airman from Canada; one Newfoundlander soldier; and 40 German soldiers. The unnamed British graves number 200 and special memorials are erected to eight sailors and soldiers from the United Kingdom, know or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of eight soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Canada and one from New Zealand, buried in other cemeteries, whose graves could not be found.

The following were among the burial grounds from which British graves were removed to the Extension.

Achiet-Le-Grand German Cemetery, on the road to Bihucourt, in which one soldier from the United Kingdom was buried by the Germans, and five by their comrades in August, 1918.

Achiet-Le-Petit Communal Cemetery and the German Extension on the east of it. The former contained the graves of three soldiers from the United Kingdom and one from New Zealand, buried by the Germans. The latter was begun by the Germans, carried on by the 1st Bedford's and other units in August 1918, and completed after the Armistice by the concentration to it of 360 German Graves; it contained, in all, the graves of 50 soldiers from the United Kingdom, 39 from New Zealand and 1,147 German.

Beaumetz-Les-Cambrai Communal Cemetery, containing the graves of six soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Australia and one from Canada, all buried by the Germans, and 201 German soldiers; and the German Extension, containing the graves of one soldier from the United Kingdom and 298 German soldiers.

Behagnies Churchyard, used by the Germans in 1916, and containing the graves of 86 German soldiers and one from the United Kingdom.

Behagnies German Cemetery, on the main road through the village, used in 1918 and containing the graves of 100 German soldiers, four French and one from the United Kingdom.

Beugnatre Communal Cemetery German Extension, containing 200 German graves and those of two soldiers from the United Kingdom (one of whom is now buried in Bancourt British Cemetery).

Beugny Churchyard and German Extension, containing the graves of 46 soldiers from United Kingdom and six from Australia (who fell, for the most part, in 1917, and of whom 34 belonged to the R.G.A.), and 19 French and 183 German soldiers.

Beugny German Cemetery, called the Heldenfriedhof, and one of many in Beugny. It was in the North-West quarter of the village, and it contained the graves of five soldiers from Australia, four from the United Kingdom and 831 Germans.

Boursies Communal Cemetery German Extension, containing the graves of 173 German soldiers, one R.A.F. offficer, and one Canadian soldier.

Doignies German Cemetery, on the South side of the village, containing the graves of 15 soldiers from the United Kingdom, one from Australia, and one 150 German.

Hermies Communal Cemetery, in which six soldiers and airmen from the United Kingdom and two Australian soldiers were buried by the Germans.

Louverval German Cemetery, Doignies, outside the Eastern angle of Louverval Château grounds, containing the graves of seven unidentified Highlanders and 138 German soldiers.

Number of Burials by Unit

Those with Awards in this cemetery

Pte. W. I. Baldwin MM., "A" Coy. 1st Bn. South Staffordshire Regiment. Killed in action 3rd Aug. 1917 aged 36. P. 7

L/Cpl. A. Bandy MM., 18th Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps. Died 23rd Aug. 1918. L.13

Lt. J. D. Boyd M.C., 119th Bty. Royal Field Artillery. Died 25th Aug. 1918. U.7

Lt. William Henry Brassington M.M., 7th Bn. Tank Corps. Killed in action 25th Aug. 1918 aged 26. F. 23

Cpl. H. Brook M.M., "C" Coy. 37th Bn. Machine Gun Corps Infantry. Died 24th Aug. 1918 aged 25. K. 28

Pte. F. Brown M.M., 2nd Bn. Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Died 4th May 1917. E 16

L/Cpl. G. H. Bulmer M.M., 149th Coy. Machine Gun Corps Infantry. Died 30th July 1917. P. 4

Others buried in this Cemetery

2nd Lt. Geoffrey Hardy. "D" Bty. 312th Bde. Royal Field Artillery (RFA), died of wounds 27th May 1917, age 27 yrs. I. A. 14.

Manser, Sgt. Herbert Edward, 370495 (2142) 2/8th Bn London Regt (Post. Office Rifles). Died 17th May 1917. Born 17 Oct 1892 . Died of his wounds at No 45 Casualty Clearing Station on 17 May 1917 following the Battle of Bullecourt Village.Age 24. I. H. 4.