Pte
John Lewis Reynolds
Informations sur naissance
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Date de naissance: 01/08/1892 |
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Lieu de naissance: Peddie, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa |
Informations générales
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Profession: Agriculteur |
Informations service militaire
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Pays: South Africa |
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Force armée: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rang: Private |
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Numéro de service: 10984 |
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Incorporation date: 13/01/1917 |
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Unités: — South African Infantry Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Dernière unité connue) |
Informations sur décès
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Date de décès: 20/09/1917 |
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Lieu de décès: Zevenkote, Belgique |
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Cause du décès: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Âge: 25 |
Mémorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panneau: 16B |
Distinctions et médailles 2
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British War Medal Médaille |
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Victory Medal Médaille |
Points d'intérêt 1
| #1 | Lieu de naissance |
Mon histoire
Private John Lewis Reynolds (Jack to his family and friends) was born in 1892 Peddie, a town in the former Province of the Cape of Good Hope. Towards the end of 1912 he met Catherine Helen Stewart (known as Kate), a teacher at the farm school in Worthing. They got married in December 1915 and in October 1916 their daughter Mary Clare was born.
In January 1917 he enlisted for the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force, a volunteer force raised by the Union of South Africa to fight abroad alongside the Allied Nations. He was attached to the South African Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, part of the South African Brigade, which was embedded with the 9th (Scottish) Division. On the 20th of September 1917, the Scottish Division participated in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres. It advanced from the Frezenberg Ridge towards the village of Zonnebeke, with the 27th Brigade and the South African Brigade. The 27th Brigade attacked with the 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the 9th Scottish Rifles; the 12th Royal Scots were in support.
The leading battalions of the South African Brigade were the 3rd and 4th Regiment; with the 1st and 2nd Regiment in support. The objective of the South African leading battalions was the Red Line. The 4th Regiment would attack on the left, while the 3rd would attack on the right flank. Both Regiments were divided into companies. Once the leading battalions had captured the Red Line, the 1st and 2nd Regiments were to move through and consolidate the Green Line. The 2nd Regiment was on the left flank, just behind the 4th Regiment.
During the night of the 19th on the 20th of September, the men got into position.
At 5.40 am, zero hour, the attacking parties advanced behind a creeping barrage. Moments later, a German barrage fell on the old front line, forcing the supporting battalions to move forward.
The 3rd Regiment and more specifically its left wing advanced very easily. They went through their own barrage, took Vampir Farm, and reached their objective without much trouble. The right wing however encountered more difficulties. They were held up by machinegun fire coming from the German stronghold at Potsdam. Troops were send up to the strongpoint in order assist the Royal Scots to help silence Potsdam. Together they managed to capture the stronghold, but not without difficulty and there were many casualties. Once taken, Potsdam was left in charge of the 12th Royal Scots so the companies could again move towards their objective. Meanwhile, the 4th Regiment on the left of the divisional flank, managed to take Beck House and Borry Farm.
Once the Red Line was consolidated the 1st and 2nd Regiments, respectively on the right and the left, renewed the advance. The 1st Regiment, like the 3rd Regiment, reached its objective without much opposition. But the 2nd Regiment had to deal with some resistance. After the 2nd had passed Mitchell’s Farm it became apparent that the advance of the 55th Division, on the left of the South Africans, had been checked. At the same time the men came under fire from Waterend House and from the high ground at Tulip Cottages and Hill 37. Notwithstanding the persistent machine un- and rifle fire, the 2nd managed to clear the German defenses at Zevenkote and Bremen Redoubt in front of them. Though the men were still under fire from tulip Cottages in the 55th divisional area. Consequently they threw out a defensive flank to the south bank of the Zonnebeke stream until the 55th Division on their left flank had caught up. By 5.50 pm the 55th Division finally captured Tullip Cottages, securing the left flank of the 2nd Regiment. And by nightfall, the 9th (Scottish) Division managed to consolidate all objectives.
Private John Lewis Reynolds was killed in action on 20 September 1917. The 25-year old fell during the attack of the South African Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion on the fortified hamlet of Zevenkote. John Lewis Reynolds has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
In January 1917 he enlisted for the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force, a volunteer force raised by the Union of South Africa to fight abroad alongside the Allied Nations. He was attached to the South African Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion, part of the South African Brigade, which was embedded with the 9th (Scottish) Division. On the 20th of September 1917, the Scottish Division participated in the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge, a stage in the Third Battle of Ypres. It advanced from the Frezenberg Ridge towards the village of Zonnebeke, with the 27th Brigade and the South African Brigade. The 27th Brigade attacked with the 6th King’s Own Scottish Borderers and the 9th Scottish Rifles; the 12th Royal Scots were in support.
The leading battalions of the South African Brigade were the 3rd and 4th Regiment; with the 1st and 2nd Regiment in support. The objective of the South African leading battalions was the Red Line. The 4th Regiment would attack on the left, while the 3rd would attack on the right flank. Both Regiments were divided into companies. Once the leading battalions had captured the Red Line, the 1st and 2nd Regiments were to move through and consolidate the Green Line. The 2nd Regiment was on the left flank, just behind the 4th Regiment.
During the night of the 19th on the 20th of September, the men got into position.
At 5.40 am, zero hour, the attacking parties advanced behind a creeping barrage. Moments later, a German barrage fell on the old front line, forcing the supporting battalions to move forward.
The 3rd Regiment and more specifically its left wing advanced very easily. They went through their own barrage, took Vampir Farm, and reached their objective without much trouble. The right wing however encountered more difficulties. They were held up by machinegun fire coming from the German stronghold at Potsdam. Troops were send up to the strongpoint in order assist the Royal Scots to help silence Potsdam. Together they managed to capture the stronghold, but not without difficulty and there were many casualties. Once taken, Potsdam was left in charge of the 12th Royal Scots so the companies could again move towards their objective. Meanwhile, the 4th Regiment on the left of the divisional flank, managed to take Beck House and Borry Farm.
Once the Red Line was consolidated the 1st and 2nd Regiments, respectively on the right and the left, renewed the advance. The 1st Regiment, like the 3rd Regiment, reached its objective without much opposition. But the 2nd Regiment had to deal with some resistance. After the 2nd had passed Mitchell’s Farm it became apparent that the advance of the 55th Division, on the left of the South Africans, had been checked. At the same time the men came under fire from Waterend House and from the high ground at Tulip Cottages and Hill 37. Notwithstanding the persistent machine un- and rifle fire, the 2nd managed to clear the German defenses at Zevenkote and Bremen Redoubt in front of them. Though the men were still under fire from tulip Cottages in the 55th divisional area. Consequently they threw out a defensive flank to the south bank of the Zonnebeke stream until the 55th Division on their left flank had caught up. By 5.50 pm the 55th Division finally captured Tullip Cottages, securing the left flank of the 2nd Regiment. And by nightfall, the 9th (Scottish) Division managed to consolidate all objectives.
Private John Lewis Reynolds was killed in action on 20 September 1917. The 25-year old fell during the attack of the South African Infantry Regiment 2nd Battalion on the fortified hamlet of Zevenkote. John Lewis Reynolds has no known grave and is remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 4
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Buchan John, The history of the South African Forces in France, (Londen, The Imperial War Museum, 1992), pg. 136-144. Sources utilisées |
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McCarthy C., Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Uniform, 2018), pg. 82-85. Sources utilisées |
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South African Brigade: 2 South African Infantry Regiment. (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/1781/2). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Autre référence |
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Surrey in the Great War https://www.surreyinthegreatwar.org.uk/story/john-lewis-reynolds/ Sources utilisées |
Complément d’informations 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1602698 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=65f11094-a32c-414b-986d-5b59ee2b867d |
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South Africa War Graves Project http://www.southafricawargraves.org/search/details.php?id=21382 |