Flying Officer
Victor Oliver Wilfred REYNOLDS
Royal Air Force
Died: 12th July 1920 - Age: 28

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Bandon Hill CemeteryA. 57.
2. Book:The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918Pg.133
3. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour61A GQS
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Early Life :

VICTOR OLIVER REYNOLDS was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire in 1892. His Father Acton Reynolds was a journeyman butcher. By 1901, the Reynolds family were living at 22 Castle St, Reading. Victor had two sisters, Cordelia and Dora, and one brother Charles.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: 24th Squadron, (Kenley) 

Action : Accident 

Accidents were a minor factor in the casualty list. Our definition is deaths resulting from activities that were not directly associated with 'active service'. We have excluded Naval Accidents which are seperately identified because of their numbers and impact. Many accidents involved the aviators, operating at the the limits of technology.

He enlisted into the Hampshire Regiment on the 1st August 1907; Promoted to Corporal 17th August 1909; instructor 17th February 1912; Army Gymnastics Staff and promoted to Staff Sergeant Service No 8179 1st class 22nd March 1914. He went to France on the 23rd August 1914 and was seriously wounded in the head at Plugesteert on the 12th April 1915. He was at Netley Hospital for three months. He rejoined the Hampshire Regiment 3rd Battalion at Gosport on the 15th November 1915 and promoted Company Sergeant Major. Appointed to Regular Commission as 2nd Lieutenant in Hampshire Regiment 16th August 1916. Seconded for service with Machine Gun Corps 20th October 1916. Supplement to the London Gazette 7th October 1916. Appointed Adjutant at Officers School Grantham on the 18th July 1917. Transferred to Clipstone Camp Nottingham to instruct in musketry and revolver shooting 14th January 1918. Transferred to Royal Flying Corps on the 22nd February 1918.

Detail :

He was accidentally killed while flying on the 12th July 1920 with A.C.2 P Braithwaite at Kenley Aerodrome Croydon. D. H. 9a F1646 took off on a test flight. At about 100 feet the pilot started to turn, but he applied too much rudder control and the machine swung to the right. At 150 feet the pilot throttled the engine back, and aircfaft went into a flat spin and fell between two sheds and burst into flames. The inquest held on 14 July 1920 returned a verdict of 'accidental death'

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Maguncor No. 3806 E.C.London

Initiated
Passed
Raised
29th October 1917
26th November 1917
5th February 1918
 

He was a member of MAGUNCOR a lodge established in September 1917 and largely drawn on members of the Machine Gun Corps as founder members and initiates. It was established in Grantham, at the time the HQ of the Machine Gun Corps. It would seem likely that REYNOLDS joined the lodge while he was at the Officers School at nearby Grantham, and given his service with the Machine Gun Corps it would seem a logical choice. The lodge name MAGUNCOR takes its origins from the telegraphic address of the Corps. Its records show how the popularity of Freemasonry increased during the war. From its consecration in September 1917 to October 1918 it had 132 members of which 72 were initiates and 48 were joining members - a very busy lodge indeed!

Discrepancies (Require checks, clarity or further research) :

Note: "The Times" 13th July, 1920, reports this accident with the name Captain OSWALD Victor Reynolds

Source :

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

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2020-11-28 13:29:20