Reginald Peter Lewis

Personal Information
Date of Birth	not known
Place of Birth	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Death	29 Aug 1918
Place of Death	Flaucourt, France.
Age at Enlistment	28 years old
Occupation	mill hand
Religion	Methodist
Address	Jarrahdale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Grace Myrtle Lewis
Military Information
Reg Number	5038
Date of Enlistment	20 Mar 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	28th Battalion, 13th Reinforcement / 7th Brigade, 2nd Division
Date of Embarkation	18 Jul 1916 - 9 Sep 1916
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A48 Seang Bee
Fate	Killed in Action 29 Aug 1918
Monument	Jarrahdale
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

In 1913 Reginald married Grace Myrtle Mildern at Jarrahdale. Grace moved to Anstey street, Mundijong after Reginald went overseas.

War Service

On arrival in England was sent to the 7th Training Battalion at Rollestone camp. On 2 Nov 1916 he proceeded overseas to France on the SS Princess Henriette.

On 14 Nov 1916 he was hospitalised with D.A.H.[1] in the 26th General Hospital in Étaples before being evacuated to England on HS Stad Antwerpen from Calais on 21 Nov 1916. On arrival he was admitted to the Norfolk War Hospital before transferring to the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield on 27 Nov 1916. On 8 Jan 1917 he was discharged from the 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital to No 2. Command Depot in Weymouth, where he spent 6 weeks recovering before being transferred to Perham Downs and then on to the 70th Battalion.

On 2 Apr 1917 he was charged with having been Out of Bounds, and Neglecting to obey orders for which he was awarded 2 days Field Punishment No 2. and forfeited 10/- ($1). In Sep 1917 he was transferred to the 69th Training Battalion, and then on 14 Oct 1917 he proceeded overseas for a second time, this time via Southampton.

He rejoined the 28th Battalion on 20 Oct 1917 at Watou on the Belgium side of the border west of Poperinge where they were in billets.

Reg was killed during an attack by the 28th Battalion designed to capture the west bank of the Somme River opposite Péronne They captured Flaurcourt without opposition, but ran into heavy machine gun fire as they approached Biaches Wood and the high ground beside the river. Casualties were described by the battalion's War Diary to be "exceedingly light", in what it described to be a "very brilliant action".

At the time of the battle, Reginald's grave could no be located, but it was later found and he was exhumed and reburied in Péronne Communal Cemetery Extension, France (Plot I Row C, Grave No 33)

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  Péronne Communal Cemetery Extension
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  Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Notes

[1] DAH is 'Disordered Action of the Heart' otherwise known as 'Soldier's Heart' or 'Effort Syndrome' and was thought to result from a combination of over exertion, mental stress and fatigue.