Pte
Reginald Lee Hand
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 22/10/1890 |
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Place of birth: Selston, Nottinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Farmer |
Army information
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Country: Canada |
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Force: Canadian Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 781462 |
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Enlistment date: 17/12/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada |
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Units: — Canadian Infantry, 28th Bn. (North West) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 11/11/1917 |
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Place of death: Lijssenthoek, Remy Siding, No. 17 Casualty Clearing Station, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Died of wounds (D.O.W.) |
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Age: 27 |
Cemetery
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Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery Plot: XXII Row: EE Grave: 14 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private Reginald Lee Hand served in the Canadian Infantry 28th Battalion, which was part of the 6th Brigade of the 2nd Canadian Division.
The 27th, 31st and 28th Battalion of the 6th Brigade, together with the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division, attacked the village of Passchendaele on November 6 1917. At 6.00 a.m. on the morning of the 6th of November 1917 the allied artillery opened up an incredibly heavy barrage on the crest of the Passchendaele Ridge. The ground between the trenches and the objective for the 28th Battalion was wet and muddy. The attack was accompanied with an enormous amount of shellfire on both sides, but the swampy nature of the ground made a lot of shells to misfire. The Germans defended the Passchendaele ridge with machinegun fire from pill-boxes, situated at strategic points as crossroads and in ruined farms.
The German main line of defence ran along the Passchendaele-Mosselmarkt Road. This line however lacked the protection of concrete dug-outs and many Germans were killed due to the allied barrage, others were seen fleeing from the line. Notwithstanding the heavy machine gun fire the advancing troops pressed on, outflanking and clearing the pill-boxes. By 7.40 a.m. all Companies had reached their objectives. Consolidation was completed shortly after 10.00 a.m.
The Battalion suffered 35 casualties during the attack, but suffered more losses due to German shelling once they had reached their objective. On top of this the Canadian troops were frequently strafed by German aeroplanes. Parties of stretcher bearers encountered great difficulties in evacuating the wounded, due to the shelling and the ghastly state of the ground.
Private Reginald Lee Hand was gravely injured during the attack of November 6 1917. He sustained shrapnel wounds to his right leg and was evacuated to No. 17 Casualty Clearing Station, Remy Siding at the hamlet of Lijssenthoek. Five days later, on November 11 1917, Reginald Lee Hand succumbed to his wounds and was buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
The 27th, 31st and 28th Battalion of the 6th Brigade, together with the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division, attacked the village of Passchendaele on November 6 1917. At 6.00 a.m. on the morning of the 6th of November 1917 the allied artillery opened up an incredibly heavy barrage on the crest of the Passchendaele Ridge. The ground between the trenches and the objective for the 28th Battalion was wet and muddy. The attack was accompanied with an enormous amount of shellfire on both sides, but the swampy nature of the ground made a lot of shells to misfire. The Germans defended the Passchendaele ridge with machinegun fire from pill-boxes, situated at strategic points as crossroads and in ruined farms.
The German main line of defence ran along the Passchendaele-Mosselmarkt Road. This line however lacked the protection of concrete dug-outs and many Germans were killed due to the allied barrage, others were seen fleeing from the line. Notwithstanding the heavy machine gun fire the advancing troops pressed on, outflanking and clearing the pill-boxes. By 7.40 a.m. all Companies had reached their objectives. Consolidation was completed shortly after 10.00 a.m.
The Battalion suffered 35 casualties during the attack, but suffered more losses due to German shelling once they had reached their objective. On top of this the Canadian troops were frequently strafed by German aeroplanes. Parties of stretcher bearers encountered great difficulties in evacuating the wounded, due to the shelling and the ghastly state of the ground.
Private Reginald Lee Hand was gravely injured during the attack of November 6 1917. He sustained shrapnel wounds to his right leg and was evacuated to No. 17 Casualty Clearing Station, Remy Siding at the hamlet of Lijssenthoek. Five days later, on November 11 1917, Reginald Lee Hand succumbed to his wounds and was buried in the Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.
Sources 7
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"The Story of the Twenty-Eight (Northwest) Battalion, 1914-1917", Dewitt G.E., London, Charles & Son, s.d., pg. 22-24. Sources used |
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"The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995, pg. 137-139. Sources used |
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Ancestry http://home.ancestry.co.uk/ Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/432406/hand,-reginald-lee/ Sources used |
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Service Records http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=443905 Sources used |
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The Long Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Sources used |
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War Diary Canadian Infantry 28th Bn. https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivianet/02015202_e.html Sources used |