Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

"The Battle of Loos (25 September to 18 October 1915) was the major battle on the Western Front in 1915, surpassing in every respect all that had gone before in terms of numbers of men and materiel committed to battle. The preliminary bombardment was the most violent to date and the battle was charaterised by the committment of Regular and Territorial battalions on a large scale, in which the Territorials performed just as well as the Regulars. As the battles on the Western Front in 1915 increased in size and violence, so the casualties increased in proportion: Neuve Chapelle 12,000, Aubers Ridge/Festubert 29,000 , Loos 60,000. 1916 was to take the casualty cost to another level. Loos was intended as a minor role in support of French efforts around Arras but circumstances reduced the French effort. It marked the first use of poison gas by the British. Once the initial assualt had failed the battle continued in a series of actions mostly focused on the northern sector around the tactically important Hohenzollern Redoubt."

Detail :

Taunton Courier, and Western Advertiser 03 November 1915 - "SERGT. N.J. REYNOLDS WOUNDED AND MISSING. - Although no intimation has been received from the War Office, a letter from an officer of the regiment to his wife states that Sergeant Norman J. Reynolds. of the 8th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, has been wounded and is missing. Great anxiety is therefore felt by his friends as to his fate, and further information is eagerly awaited. Sergeant Reynolds, who some months ago joined the Somersets, was at one time a teacher in the Combe St. Nicholas elementary schools, being a brother of the former Headmaster, Mr. Percy Reynolds, now at Ilminster. Prior to his enlistment, Sergeant Reynolds was headmaster of the West Huntspill Council Schools, and was well known and highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends. He took a deep interest in his profession, and was still the honorary secretary of the Somerset County Teachers' Federation, whilst he had also been president of the Bridgwater and District Teachers' Federation. He was a Past Master of the Highbridge "Rural Philanthropic" Lodge of Freemason, and in many other directions had performed useful work. He was one of those who responded to the appeal made to each house holder in the kingdom, and for a while acted as physical instructor. Much sympathy is felt for Mrs. Reynolds and her five young children, and his father, Mr. George Reynolds, headmaster of the North Newton Council Schools, and other members of the family in the time of their anxiety, and the fervent hope is expressed that ere long information will be received that the gallant soldier is safe, even though he may be a prisoner in the hands of the enemy."

Masonic :

Past Master

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley
• Website : Province of Somerset List